I've marvelled at New York form the top of the Empire States Building, adored Paris for the Sacr?-Coeur on top of Montmartre but until now have never had the opportunity to opportunity to see my home town, London as everyone should. Having previously dismissed visiting the London Eye as something that only tourists do, I was finally presented with the perfect excuse to take a slow leisurely cruise in a pod from which I could see the whole of London. It was a clear day so the view was fantastic and I neither has to climb the steps of the Sacr?-Coeur or joins the queue's of the Empire States building to enjoy it. I cant believe what we've been missing



Now things have changed. The London Eye is now one of the greatest attractions in the capital. At long last, I made the time to go for a ride on the giant Ferris wheel and it was far from the anticlimax that I had expected. The big was a first date. A last date also as it turned out but that had nothing to do with the venue which I chose. Intent on avoiding the crowds, I booked my ride on the London Eye online a week before and opted for one of the more exclusive packages in order to impress my date. This essentially meant that me and my date we able to jump the queues and share a slightly more exclusive pod with less people than the average tourist. As VIPs, there was also more champagne than two rather slow drinkers could drink waiting for us in the pos.

The Eye stands a whopping 135 metres high on the South Bank between Waterloo and Westminster Bridges, right opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and provides stunning views over central London and beyond. From what is essentially the centre of London I was treated to a gently paced half-hour ride in this space age capsules holding about 12 other people each during which time I was able to see more of the city than I have ever done before ? a 360 degree panoramic view of my office, my home, the Starbucks I buy my coffee from in the morning, and of course some famous tourist attractions.

If you are planning a trip to London, The London Eye is well worth visiting. If you don't like queuing or disappointment consider booking online at least a week in advance. This will put you ahead of the game and depending on the package you chose, gain you some special priveleges.