I CAN SEE FOR MILES...THERE'S MAGIC IN MY EYES

Phew...he missed!

It's not as though it's invisible, but we'd never previously given thought to going up The Shard for a look - now we have (thanks Shaz & Bill) and for those who visit London and haven't done so, we heartily recommend it.

Owned by the State Of Qatar, it stands 310 metres high, its design was inspired by the masts of the 18th century tall ships (use your imagination!), and it is conceptually a vertical city with self-contained hotel, apartments, offices, restaurants, etc. The Shard is easily the tallest building in western Europe, only Russia having taller structures (Trivia Fact: 8 of the 10 tallest buildings in all of Europe are in Moscow!). It's 92 storeys high, although the 72nd floor OPEN AIR observation deck is as high as people can go, the 8 glass facades (i.e. shards) take up the rest, and is covered in 11,000 glass panels.

The view over London in every direction is outstanding, a full 360 degrees and as far as 40 miles....and in the middle of winter it is freezing! It provides stunning views over the Tower Of London and Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, The Eye and Houses Of Parliament, St Paul's, the 'walkie talkie' building, Crystal Palace in the south and much more. (Tourist Tip: time your visit for about an hour before the sunset. That way you get to see the city in daylight, dusk, and at night - three different experiences for the price of one).

Make sure you put it on your agenda, you won't be sorry (Foto Warning: it's well nigh impossible to take clear pictures due to glass reflection, but that is why we have all been blessed with our own memory!). The ice cave probably won't be there unless you go in winter, but the view from the rest room certainly will be!

Don L finds an eskimo on the 72nd floor