Heat Wave and The London Eye

So, it is HOT in London today. Much hotter than it is in Raleigh. We hit 95 this afternoon and since very few places have A/C, that is pretty warm.  It was actually not too bad outside with the breeze and in the shade. But the insides of buildings (including our apartments) and the tube are quite stuffy.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, we had a great day. Today was our day to ride on the London Eye. A familiar landmark that provides an amazing view of all of London's famous landmarks. Our group got separated into two pods, but it was a fun ride!

While waiting in the long queues for the London Eye may seem to drag on forever, the views during the ride are very much worth it. You can see nearly every iconic landmark in London, including Big Ben, River Thames, Wembley Stadium, the Shard, and many more. I was truly amazed at the extent of the view once the pod reached its highest point. You could not only see tens of miles in every direction, but you felt right at the heart of a bustling city which is an experience I will never forget.

I was also able to notice a lot of engineering related facets of the London Eye, which I found particularly fascinating as a mechanical engineering major. While I was waiting in line, I was captivated by some of the massive supports that were holding up the entire apparatus. The mechanisms that propelled the little pods were also pretty intriguing and looked a lot more basic than I had anticipated, although they are probably very complex on the inside. Even the pods themselves were a feat of engineering. Their odd shape, technological capabilities, and how they were attached to and interacted with the main wheel were some features that people often take for granted but likely required a lot of attention during design and construction. ~Tyler