Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
London's Best “Bird's-Eye” Views
The London Eye (p. 107) is the most
obvious of the attractions offering a
“bird's eye” view of the capital, but it's
by no means the only vantage point.
For centuries before the Eye was built,
St. Paul's Cathedral (p. 111) has been
letting Londoners willing to climb its
500 plus steps gaze out over their city,
spread out before them like a great 3-D
map. Worthy, albeit slightly less ele-
vated, panoramas are also offered from
the top of Westminster Cathedral
(p. 104), the Monument (p. 110), the
National Portrait Gallery restaurant
(p. 90), and the Oxo Tower —this last
one is particularly recommended,
because it's free.
The number of views is set to
increase in the future as London is cur-
rently witnessing the development of a
glut of skyscrapers, some of which have
promised to operate viewing galleries.
the city from above. Passengers are carried in 32 glass-sided “pods,” each representing
one of the 32 boroughs of London (which lucky travelers get Croydon?), that make a
complete revolution every half-hour. Along the way you'll see bird's-eye views of some
of London's most famous landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, Bucking-
ham Palace, the BT Tower, St. Paul's, the “Gherkin,” and of course, the River Thames
itself. You're free to move around inside the pod, during its voyage, although everyone
tends to congregate in the northern half to look out over the river and the heart of
sightseeing London. “Night flights,” when you can gaze at the twinkling lights of the
city are available in winter.
Millennium Jubilee Gardens, SE1. &   0870/5000-600. www.ba-londoneye.com. Admission £18 adults,
£14 seniors and students, £9.50 children 4-15. Times vary, but the Eye is open daily from 10am, usually
till 9pm in summer (9:30pm in July-Aug) and till 8pm in winter. Tube: Waterloo or Westminster.
Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret MUSEUM Next
time you find yourself moaning about a trip to the family doctor, remember it could
be much worse, as this antique operating theatre shows. Although less than 200 years
old, it might as well be from the Stone Age, such have been the advances in medical
science. It was once part of St. Thomas' Hospital, but was sealed over and forgotten
about for more than a century when the hospital relocated in 1861. Now restored, it
provides a grim window into the past. At its center is a table on which operations—
mainly amputations—were performed without anesthetic or antiseptic. Patients were
bound to prevent them struggling free, a box of sawdust was placed beneath them to
collect the blood, and then the surgeon got to work, the aim being to sever the limb
as quickly as possible to prevent the patient from bleeding to death. The grisly spec-
tacle was watched by medical students in the surrounding seating—this really was a
“theatre”—as you can do every Saturday at 2pm, when a demonstration of 19th-
century “Speed Surgery” is staged.
The herb garret, located above the theatre, was used for drying medicinal plants. It
was rediscovered at the same time, and provides a more peaceful, aromatic second act.
9a St. Thomas St., SE1 .( &   020/7188-2679. www.thegarret.org.uk. Admission £5.80 adults, £4.80 seniors
and students, £3.25 children 15 and under, £13.75 family. Daily 10:30am-5pm. Tube: London Bridge.
Shakespeare's Globe HISTORIC SITE/THEATRE This is a recent re-
creation of one of the most important public theatres ever built, Shakespeare's Globe,
where the Bard premiered many of his most famous plays. The new Globe isn't an
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