The Eye in the Sky

THE LONDON EYE- The Eye of the City

By: Megan Abundis

LONDON-- People from all around the world travel to the city of London to see the sites. The London Eye is no exception as it has been voted in the best top ten attractions to see in London. Climb aboard for a breathtaking experience, with an unforgettable view of London’s famous landmarks.



Approaching the top of the London Eye

The towering London Eye sits in Jubilee Garden on the South Bank of the river Thames. As the water flows by you can catch a breeze as you wait in line with other excited guests for an experience of a lifetime. The Duo team of architects, David Marks and Julia Barfield shaped the massive wheel. The London Eye was created to celebrate the turning of the Millennium. Specifically, the turning wheel is meant to represent the passage of time. Even though the Eye has only been around for about 14 years, it attracts world-wide attention as people near and far come to ride the wheel to see London’s true beauty from a distance.

Ride operator, Craig Fraser says, “The London Eye sees an average of 23,000 guests each summer day.” With this amount of people entering in fellow ride operator Katie Howell also said that, “we are ever evolving” referring to promotions as the new representative of a modern London.

The London Eye stands 135 meters tall, one of the tallest structures in London. The stunning view allows the visitor to see 40 kilometers in every direction on a clear day. London Eye employees have mentioned that they can see as far as the Windsor Castle on a perfect day.

Looking out

More than three and a half million people travel to the eye each year, so constructing the best views and optimal safety concerns are important. After stepping inside a capsule, visitors will notice that you can see a complete 360 degree view. A site from every possible angle can be awed at. The wheel has 32 capsules, weighing 10-tonnes each as they represent each one of London’s Boroughs. Also, each capsule can carry 25 people as they are free to walk around and enjoy each view. The London Eye travels at a pace of 26 cm per second, carrying a total of 800 people in a quick 30 minute revolution.

A view of the capsules

In 1999, Prime Minister Tony Blair officially opened the wheel on December 31. However, the first ride wasn’t conducted until March of 2000. Walking through the sea of visitors below the Eye, you can see and hear how diverse the people are who come to see one of the best attractions in the United Kingdom. It is very amusing to see all different ages and hear all types of languages who come together for a single purpose.

After talking with guests, most people had reported that this was not their first time riding on the London Eye. However, experiences were so great that they had to come back for a second go around. The London Eye is a place for school groups, families, date nights, or anyone who wants to reflect on the beautiful city and take in the amazing views of London.

Katie Howell said, “Because we are working with EDF Energy, people are racing to the London Eye this summer to see if they can catch a ride on the special orange capsule.” After doing some research, the London Eye is offering promotions through EDF Energy. For example, you can rent out the orange capsule and have a spectacular ride with dinner and champagne along with the sunset. The perfect setting for a special event.

Top of the London Eye

The London Eye was the best part of my London experience and I would recommend everyone ride the spectacular wheel so they too can have an eye in the sky.

Greenwich Indulgence

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Cruising down the banks of the Thames River we arrived by boat in Greenwich. We explored the historic sites of the Old Royal Observatory, the Prime Meridian, the Old Royal Naval College and the beautiful Chapel. However, the greatest part about Greenwich was the charming market.

The Greenwich market was established in 1737 and is London’s only historic market. With just a five minute walk from the Greenwich Pier, we entered through a crowded alley way that locals and tourists tunnel through to find new treasures or a bite to eat. The market is surrounded by independent boutique shops as well as established designers.

I absolutely adore markets because of the great variety, I can always find something new to see each time I go. I made sure to stroll through every aisle of beautiful handcrafted arts, crafts, and collectables. I loved the atmosphere and the old town feel of this world heritage site. Besides all of the endless scarves, photography, dishes, sweaters, trousers, or life-size pig statues; shoppers seemed relaxed and intrigued with every site to see. As gazing eyes fell upon each tiny trinket or hand sewn shirt, I couldn’t help but enjoy what was around me.

Because each shop is independent you are sure to find something different that no one else has. What caught my eye was a tiny treasure that my friend and I picked up. A young woman was selling stylish handmade leather wrist watches. These watches were classy with large faces and at a reasonable price, we knew we had to indulge in this purchase. We are very satisfied and still have not taken them off.

After shopping around, we discovered a wide range of take away food that was available in the market. Different aromas swirling around us had us spinning in circles trying to find the best possible choice for our individual tastes. They had every type of food you could imagine. Fresh Paella to authentic samosas, everywhere you turn a different delectable is being wrapped up and sold to a hungry customer.

Recently voted as London’s best loved market, Greenwich was not a disappointment.

Undeniable Beauty

By: Megan Abundis
LONDON--

UNDENIABLE BEAUTY


Traveling the world has opened my eyes to beautiful sites. Leaving my small hometown unsure of where I was going or what I would be seeing excited me. I can confidently say that nothing will ever compare to my breathtaking experience in Oxford, England.

Oxford is home to one of the most prestigious and most famous universities in the world. Everywhere you look there is beauty. Your eyes will never be disappointed looking around from the tall handcrafted ceilings to the bumpy cobblestone ground.

Debbie Gerrans, our fabulous tour guide, took us around to see the historic sites. The city of Oxford was founded in 912 AD, and mostly all of Oxford’s main architecture remains, as told by Debbie. The preservation is partly because Adolf Hitler wanted to keep Oxford around so he could have it as his official residence when he invaded and conquered Great Britain. His plan didn’t work out so great.

The beauty of Oxford first falls on its elegant 38 independent colleges. The pictures below are from Wadham College and Trinity College. Each college in Oxford University is structured similarly. When you enter each college you are immediately looking at a square of rich green grass, or formally known as a quadrangle or a quad.

Unfortunately, you are NOT allowed on the grass, no matter how intrigued you are. Debbie told us that the Oxford tradition goes as is: the longer your gown the more prestige and importance you have. As a reputation stance, students wear gowns regularly. Whether it is a test day or dinner time your gown is worn. The more you achieve in your college career, the longer your gown becomes. Once your gown reaches the ground, you are then allowed to walk on the grass.

 However, that’s not the only reason why you can’t walk on the grass. If you are a member of the college you can request to have your ashes spread all over the quad after you die. This was shocking and somewhat disturbing, but a tradition is a tradition!

Looking around the colleges the beauty is never-ending. A personal tour guided us to their dining halls, individual chapels, and their secret gardens.

 Oxford is an unforgettable city filled with stunning sites

Holborn's Best Kept Secret

By: Megan Abundis

HOLBORN'S BEST KEPT SECRET

The tucked away entrance

LONDON --  Our first evening in London was spent at The Ship Tavern celebrating making it across the world in one piece. Little did we know that our dining locale is considered one of north London's best kept secrets. The small tavern in the barrow of Holborn is tucked away on a side street away from the hectic high streets. This centuries-old tavern has been a popular place for the locals to grab a drink or meal since 1549.

Its historical significance goes deeper than its savory  pies and traditional eats.  During The Reformation and the reign of Henry the VIII being a Catholic in England was dangerous.  Attending or conducting a mass could get you killed.  Legend has it that during this period The Ship Tavern was not only a pub but a place where secret Catholic church services were held. People would congregate and sneak into the tavern where outlawed priests would give mass.
Ironically the priest would give mass from behind the bar.  There would be ‘lookouts’ to warn the congregation if the King’s officials were in sight.  If danger approached church-goers would immediately grab their ales and pretend to be drinking.  The tavern was constructed with secret passageways that would conceal the priests and help them escape.




Newly renovated bar

When our tour guide, Nadia Jennings, was explaining this our whole group was surprised.   Looking around at the small tavern you would never guess its hidden secrets.

I asked the waitresses if we could see the secret passage ways today and they had confirmed that through all of the renovations over the years they were now unfortunately covered up.

Even without being able to see the secret passageways you can  feel  the history throughout the tavern. It was a lovely way to start our trip and to recover from jet lag!





Traditional British Pie

View from the bar