About Me

My photo
Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

E is for EYE


I had a really nice slideshow all ready to add to my E is for...post but my computer was hacked on Friday evening so now I have to wait until it's fixed by a professional before even turning it on.  What I originally wanted to show you was the town of Ely, just north of Cambridge, where Cathy and I met up with two extraordinary ladies. I had met Sally and Ellee online, and we had arranged to meet for lunch at Peacock's Tea Room in Ely. It was a lovely day but I forgot to take my camera! All the photos I have are from Cathy so I'll have to show you Ely another time. I have a smaller laptop that I'm using now to do a different post, but I don't have any photo software on it, so will have to do with just posting a few photos that I'd saved on a stick.

Most people are aware of the London EYE, but like me, I bet lots of you did not realize that there are EYES in other cities in England...and maybe even the world for all I know.  But when we arrived in Liverpool and settled into our hotel at Albert Dock, we were very excited to see the Liverpool EYE right next door.  Off we went to see about getting a ride, but alas, it was closed!  I had to make do with taking some photos of it, practising from different angles.  Standing more than 197 feet high, the wheel gives magnificent views of the city's World Heritage waterfront and the Albert Dock complex. It has 42 fully enclosed and air-conditioned capsules plus a VIP luxury capsule with leather seats, DVD player, and a champagne fridge. Also, in good weather, you can see all the way to North Wales and out to the Irish Sea.  These are a few of my shots.  Click on the photos to see them larger - they do look much better that way.
 
 

 When I was in London, I wanted to go up in the London EYE with Lorne, but unfortunately we didn't get the chance.  However, we did drive past it on our way to Heathrow on our final day.  It truly is a magnificent sight!   It is much bigger than the one in Liverpool, standing 443 feet high with the wheel having a diameter of 394 feet.  The London EYE stands in the heart of London on the south bank of the River Thames adjacent to the Jubilee Gardens.  I'll just have to return some day to this exciting city so I can finally have a ride on it. Here are a couple of shots I got from Google.  
Exuberant thanks to the founder and creator of ABC Wednesday, the ever enchanting Mrs. Nesbitt (her hens lay excellent eggs, you know!) and the enormously enthusiastic Roger, our current administrator!  Also, we must not forget the exemplory and essential team of assistants who give it their best effort to visit all the contributors and give feeback to your entertaining and eloquent posts.

30 comments:

Roger Owen Green said...

sorry for your computer woes.

I'm fretting about some of my own.

Nice shots/

Reader Wil said...

Hi Leslie! Did you know that the London Eyes was constructed in the Netherlands not far from where I live in a neighbouring village. The Eye was divided in four sections and each of them was transported separately from the Netherlands to London! As a matter of facts my eldest daughter, who is a draughtswoman, was one of the people who drew a part of it in the factory where it was built. The day when it was erected we all were watching TV to see it being hoisted up. But unfortunately the first attempt failed, and it took another month to have another try. In the beginning of 2000 it stood there proudly and at that time it was the highest wheel in the world. As I said:the whole construction was made in Holland, the cabins though were constructed in France.
I wanted to have a ride in it when I was in London, but there were too many people before us! The designers were a British couple.
Thanks for showing so many photos of the wheel. At the time of the construction I taught English in some evening classes and half of my students either worked at the factory or had a relative working there. So I got a lot of information about the production of the Wheel.

Powell River Books said...

Eye've never been to London. I don't think I would like it very much with my fear of heights though. - Margy

anthonynorth said...

Yes, the Eyes are popping up all over the UK now. Hope the computer's fixed soon.

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful photography ~ so fascinating!

Hope to be in London in June ~

thanks for coming by ~

Carol (A Creative Harbor) on Blogger ^_^

Carver said...

Sorry you were hacked. Wonderful photographs and a great post. Sorry though you couldn't feature Ely and will look forward to it when you do. I visited Ely as a teenager and have fond memories.

Tania said...

A very cool Eye! I want to go up there in no 3! That is my favorite:-)

Luna Miranda said...

hackers are pure evil. got some computer problems here, too...haven't consulted a pro yet.

i also wanted to try the London Eye during my short visit but my friend wasn't up for it. and the ticket was also way out of our budget.:p

Black Jack's Carol said...

Hi Leslie, Computer hacking is Extraordinarily irritating. Hope it isn't too Exhausting to fix! I am probably one of only a few who have never heard of the Eye. Your photos were Excellent!

In answer to your question about off-leash dogs at Beaver Lake, there are signs everywhere warning of fines. The wildlife is particularly sensitive there. I do see the odd person who takes a chance, but usually, their dogs are super well-trained, do not chase the ducks (who lose their ability to fly during breeding season and get terribly stressed by dogs), and come immediately when called. I am still working on Black Jack's recall, so we pick and choose her free-run places with great care, both to protect her and to protect wildlife. I'm really excited to hear about your new dog. Looking forward to the pics!!!

PhenoMenon, ABCW Team said...

Interesting to know about the Eye in other cities but I just love the London eye and the view it offers

PhenoMenon, ABCW Team

Meryl said...

Wonderful photos. It's so mind boggling how words 'morph' over time. Who would have called Mr. Ferris' wheel an 'eye' when it opened at the Chicago Worlds Fair in the 1890's!

Anonymous said...

i'm afraid of heights and i've never been on a ferris wheel before, but i'm kinda hoping i'd be on the london eye someday.

photowannabe said...

Sorry about the hacking! That's terrible. Hope the professionals fix it as good as new.
I didn't realize there were more Eyes than the London one.
I think I would like to go up in it even though hights and I are not the best of friends.
I read all of Reader Wil's comments. Very very interesting.

Marleen said...

I hope to be in the London eye one day. Nice pictures!

Hildred said...

Great pictures, - woould love to go back toLondon just to see the Eye - gave up on riding Ferris Wheels some years ago. Sorry about your PC.

Joy said...

Eyes do seem to spring up everywhere but I think the London one is the best in the UK. Sorry to here about your hack, what a pain. Last time I was in Ely was about 35 years ago, it would have been interested to see it today in your photos. Did you try the long jump, LOL. Looking on the bright side you now have E sorted for the next round!

Wanda said...

Oh my those awful hackers...So sorry for the problems.

However, your pictures are wonderful, but do miss your "smile box slide show"

Hazel said...

What a wide range of view! I saw one Eye in York (if I remember correctly). Yeah, too many people but we can go another time. Sorry your computer got hacked. I look forward to your post on Ely.

LONDONLULU said...

Argh, I think I was hacked not that long ago either - so sorry! But these are meantime, beautiful captures! There's a building in one of your photos behind the Eye, my old pre-Princeton haunt (thanks for the sweet bit of nostalgia:)

Lea said...

Amazing!
I remember seeing photos of the London Eye when we watched the Olympic Games on TV. I did not know there were others.
Have a wonderful day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

There is an eye in Australia and Singapore, but you won't catch up on one. Scary cat,

SRQ said...

What a drag about your computer. I hope it's fixed soon. I saw the London Eye, but didn't get on it -- Wimbledon was calling.

LOLfromPasa said...

This is just perfect. Nice reminder of our ride on the London Eye will visitors from Oz. Interesting what Wil has to say too. I have been to Ely so I will look forward to the next round. Sorry about your computer troubles, a real bummer.

Ann said...

The last pic looks like you are very well enclosed. I think the height wouldn't bother me to much on this one. Looks like a wonderful experience. Hope you can go in it next time.
Ann

Beverley Baird said...

What a wonderful tour of London we're getting! The Eye is quite the site! Great informative post!

Melanie Kennelly said...

Hope your computer can be saved/salvaged soon!

Lise said...

Your photos are Excellent...though they make me get an Eery feeling in my belly...Ewwy. Sorry about your computer issues, technology seems to lead Everything these days!

Glad to have learned about ABCWednesday, Enjoying participating:)

Chubskulit Rose said...

You have definitely have the eyes for interesting stuff like this Leslie!

Catching up with ABC Wednesday entries on Valentine's day!

Eskimo

Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

Russell said...

Encredible .... uh ... incredible (!!) photos of a most Exhilarating wheel!

I Enjoyed stopping by!

Take care.

Anonymous said...

would it be fair to say that there is one in Coney Island too?



epideictic rhetoric