The Shard has been part of the London skyline for a few years now. Along with other Londoners, I watched it grow and had prime view of construction progress from my office window in Southwark.

The Shard towers directly above London Bridge station, so I’d looked up on many occasions during my daily commute. It was time to take a look downwards.

At 800 feet it is the tallest building in Western Europe, with viewing platforms on levels 68 to 72.
December last year, we checked the weather forecast and booked tickets for an early morning time slot when the sun was shining.

Wow. The view is amazing and worth the entrance fee. London is spread out beneath you, like a toy town. We were above a helicopter and the birds, appearing to be on a level with some planes heading into City airport. We watched trains inch their way into the station below, having a new appreciation for the logistics involved. We become aware of trees hidden behind buildings at street level, occasional roof top gardens. The city disappears into the horizon in all directions, maybe forty miles away, with views of London’s iconic buildings seen from a new perspective.

We celebrated C~M’s twenty first birthday with champagne cocktails at a bar on the 52nd floor back in September. The view then was enhanced by the vivid red of the poppies at the Tower of London.

If you do get to the View from the Shard, make sure you visit the toilets. We missed this, but I’ve since heard how spectacular they are. You get a view while in there too!