London - day one

The London Eye is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom. It is also the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe at a height of 135 metres (443 ft).

The Millennium Bridge is the first new bridge across the river Thames in London since Tower Bridge opened in 1894, and it is the first ever designed for pedestrians only. The bridge links the City of London near St Paul's Cathedral with the Tate Modern art gallery on Bankside.

The Lloyd’s Building was innovative in having its services such as staircases, lifts, electrical power conduits and water pipes on the outside, leaving an uncluttered space inside. The twelve glass lifts were the first of their kind in the UK.

Behind the Lloyd´s Building is the Gherkin. A building designed by Lord Foster, and completed in 2004, which has changed the skyline of London forever.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on the south bank of the River Thames was a highlight on my tour.

In 1949, Sam Wanamaker came to London for the first time and he looked for the site of the original Globe Theatre and was disappointed – since it had burned down in 1613 and was never rebuilt. In 1970 Sam Wanamaker founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust, and in 1987 building work began on site when the six-metre deep foundations were laid. In 1993, the construction of the Globe Theatre itself began. Sadly, Sam Wanamaker died on 18 December 1993. The Globe Theatre was completed in 1997.

Tower Bridge is a draw bridge with two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete, that were sunk 1886 into the riverbed to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad in granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge a pleasing appearance.

After reading that Tower Bridge is just a steel construction covered with stone I felt cheated, since I always thought the bridge was made entirely from stone.

The Tower of London’s primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison. It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. It is a few minutes walk north of St Paul's Cathedral, overlooking the remains of the Roman city wall and on the edge of the oldest part of London, known as the City, now the financial district. It is primarily concerned with the social history of London and its inhabitants throughout history. Admission was free - as all museums are in London.

This guy bent a postcard holder with the name Melina from a thick wire in about 45 seconds; a great personalized souvenir for Ramon's daughter.

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is the seat of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons). The palace contains around 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 kilometres of corridors.

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster

At the end of the day Ramona picked the restaurant and she wanted to eat Chinese and it was one of the best if not the best Chinese food I’ve ever had.