London Eye, Hunterium Museum, Champagne Lounge

Today is Steve's 40th birthday. Happy Birthday Steve! I remember the day you were born as if it were yesterday. Steve is in Italy meeting with the Ferrari people so this is a birthday he won't forget.

After breakfast with Anne, again at Le Pain Quotidien in the train station, Dave and I made online reservations for the London Eye, and then took the tube there. We collected our prepaid tickets, then stood in line for 45 minutes. Blessedly, it is about ten degrees cooler today, in the 70s instead of the 80s. I have much more energy when it is cooler. There are about 30 people to each capsule of the Eye. It is air conditioned and one can move around to see all the views. The views of London are pretty spectacular although London doesn't have any really tall buildings so it's skyline isn't particularly impressive. I would say doing the London Eye once is worth it, but I don't need to do it again.

We had lunch at a Prezzo restaurant. This is a chain, but has good, reasonably priced food. Walked from here to the Hunterium Museum which Anne told us about. It's a small museum, but worth going to. It is part of the Royal College of Surgeons and consists of anatomical specimens in jars of all kinds of animals and parts of people. The basic collection belonged to a man by the name of John Hunt, 1718-1783. Making collections of most anything was popular at this time and that is what John Hunt collected, anatomical specimens. However, he also had an interest in anatomy and used the specimens to teach anatomy since using human cadavers was not allowed at the time or was just starting to be done. He became quite wealthy and acquired two spacious homes, one for his family and one for surgical students to live in. He connected the two with a building which housed a lecture hall and laboratorynformdissection. 

Went with Anne to the Champagne Bar on the upper level of St. Pancras train station. Quite nice with a menu of all different kinds of champagne. We each chose one and spent a pleasant hour visiting and people watching. 

Walked to dinner once again at TAS near the British Museum where we ate several nights ago. It has been a very pleasant day.

                                                 Capsule of the London Eye

                                     Parliament buildings for the London Eye

                                                Government Buildings from the London Eye

                                          Linda and Dave in the London Eye