Pret a Manger – Heathrow Airport, London
Daily Archives: April 29, 2016
London in 180 minutes
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With less than three hours available between flights from UAE to London and then to Vancouver, we had the opportunity to take in Westminster Bridge, Big Ben (perhaps London’s most famous icon) and the London Eye for a few minutes. Travelling on the tube from Heathrow Airport to Earl’s Court on the Piccadilly Line was very straightforward. From there we hopped onto the District line which took us right to Westminster (all in all about 60 minutes on the underground). Enjoying some temporary blue sky and sunshine, Big Ben stood proud as did the Houses of Parliament. Seeing the London Eye for the first time (up close and personal) was quite amazing.
Note: Big Ben is part of the Palace of Westminster originally started in 1020. The palace was burned down in 1834, so the Gothic architecture you see today is comparatively recent.
The palace houses both of the the UK’s ruling bodies — the Houses of Parliament and the House of Lords.
Hundreds of people eagerly gathered in the area representing dozens of nationalities; even one lonely piper merrily played a Scottish medley on Westminster Bridge. After snapping a few photos we could not resist taking in a quick lunch at the County Hall, the place to enjoy ‘Great British Fish & Chips’.
Leaving County Hall we gazed at the London Eye — at 135m, Coca-Cola London Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel. It was conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects and was launched in 2000. When enjoying the sights from the ‘Big Wheel’ you can also add to your experience by ordering a ‘mouth-watering’ bottle of Champagne for a cool 165 pounds. (Pommery Cuvée Louise)
With a quick dash back to the Airport we managed to catch our flight back to Vancouver.
Other useful links include; Big Bus Tours and Thames River Cruise.