London/Paris - Day 2

The itinerary for our first full day in London was tight. The plan was to ride the London Eye, take a cruise down the Thames, and visit the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, and St. Paul's Cathedral. Luckily for us, the day didn't go as planned.

What threw us off was what I hadn't done the night before, namely, I hadn't set an alarm. We were on vacation after all. In my head, I envisioned shutting my eyes at midnight and opening them at 8:00. Eight hours of sleep instead of the usual six? How decadent! Unfortunately, I forgot to factor in that we had just been up for 32 hours straight (7 AM Wednesday morning to 3 PM Thursday afternoon, Pacific Time).

When I opened my eyes the next morning, something felt off. It was my internal clock. The traveling and the time change had knocked it out of kilter. With apprehension, I checked my watch, my phone, and the room's clock. All of them said 10:30. Our reservations for the Eye were for 10:00.

I calmly woke M, brewed two cups of coffee, and then proceeded to freak out. "We've lost three hours! What if they don't let us on? What if I can't get a refund? Augh!" Luckily, my moment of melodrama passed.

We raced to the Tube, made the two necessary transfers, and walked briskly across the bridge from the Westminster station to the Eye. When the person at the ticket counter took my printed confirmation sheet and handed me two tickets without a glance or question, I realized I had stressed out for no reason.

The London Eye, built as part of the millennium celebration, is a giant ferris wheel overlooking the River Thames. Instead of benches, it has large egg-shaped glass capsules. Each can hold twenty people without them bruising each other's ribs with their elbows. It's a carnival ride with class. A standard "flight" (they're too good to be called rides, apparently) will set you back £14. While I was online, I contemplated purchasing the champagne flight, but champagne at ten in the morning and 440 feet above the ground didn't seem prudent.

A trip on the Eye lasts approximately thirty minutes. The wheel rotates so slowly, the operators can load and unload passengers while it's moving. The most impressive view of the city is near the top, but one gets great views throughout the flight.

Afterwards, we crossed the bridge and boarded a City Cruises boat for a ride along the River Thames. We got the Red Rover ticket (£10, but "free" with London Pass (LP)), which allows unlimited use of the boat for the day.

We took the cruise from the Westminster Pier to the Tower Pier. Seats on the boat were unassigned. A clear shell offered protection from the wind while still providing a view of the river (an impossible-to-photograph view thanks to abundant water stains). Snacks and beverages were available for purchase towards the boat's stern. One of the crew members acted as a voluntary tour guide, pointing out the notable ships, bridges, and buildings, including London's uniquely shaped city hall.

At the end of the cruise, our guide reiterated the voluntary nature of his narrative and casually mentioned the tip jar he would be holding as he and his crew mates helped us from the boat. I didn't have anything smaller than a five-pound note and it seemed wrong to make change from the tip jar, so it was an awkward disembarkation involving a lot of eye contact avoidance and mumbled thank yous.

Because of our late start, we decided to visit the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge another day and head straight to St. Paul's Cathedral. To reach it, we took the Thames Path, a scenic footpath along the riverbank. The section we walked was only lightly used, making it one of the most relaxing and peaceful places in the city.

We were soon at St. Paul's Cathedral, whose impressive exterior doesn't begin to hint at the magnificence of its interior. Christopher Wren, the architect, started design of St. Paul's in 1669. After several rejected drafts, a final design was agreed upon in 1675. Construction began June 1677 and was completed October 1708.

While we were touring the cathedral (£10 admission, "free" with LP), one of the canons approached the pulpit on the dome dais and asked us to pause and join him in prayer. In the moment it took to say amen, lift my head, and open my eyes, I came to realize and appreciate Wren's grand design. The feeling that I was standing in a truly holy place was palpable.

The most incredible feature of the church is its dome. After walking the length of the nave and quire, we took the stairs and climbed 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery, which offers a magnificent view of the paintings and sculptures that adorn the dome's interior. From there, we climbed another 117 steps to the Stone Gallery, which provided a beautiful view of the city.

Clambering up another 154 steps, we reached the Golden Gallery, which also offered wondrous views, but was too cramped and crowded to enjoy.

On the way up, we came across a six-inch porthole that gave us a bird's-eye view of the cathedral floor, more than 250-feet below.

Before leaving the cathedral, we grabbed a bite to eat at the Crypt Cafe, which is literally located in the crypt beneath the church. It was the strangest place I've ever eaten a ham and cheese sandwich.

We then wandered down Fleet Street and The Strand until we reached the Covent Garden Market and Piazza. This was the first and nicest shopping area we saw in London.

A while later, we ventured over to the Covent Garden station to meet L, M's friend who lives in London. It's a popular meeting spot. Everybody seemed to be waiting for somebody. After a few false starts, we spotted L, who took us to nearby pub called Maxwell's. Because I was set on trying beers I wouldn't normally find on an American menu, I had a Kronenbourg.

After eating what could be best described as nondescript food, we wandered towards the Thames and stopped in at The Wellington, a pub near the Waterloo Bridge. That's where I tried my first Stella and resisted the urge to yell out the name like an idiot.

After the sun set, L took us across the Waterloo Bridge and showed us the amazing night view of London.

We parted ways at the Waterloo station and returned to our hotel via the Tube. All in all, it turned out to be a great day in London. Thank goodness for days that don't go as planned.