We had a little “introduction” tour from one of the Friend’s of St. Paul’s. She told us that Old St. Paul’s burned down in The Great Fire of 1663 and the current day St. Paul’s was designed by Christopher Wren and constructed in a mere 32 years. It was very rare for the architect to see a large project like this completed in their lifetime. It is also the first Cathedral to have a dome and now it is one of the largest Cathedral with a dome in the world.

St. Paul’s was designed in the shape of a cross (birds eye view) with the dome in the centre of the intersecting arms, and with sombre Baroque decoration. But during the Victorian Era, more decoration and fancy Anglican depictions were added.

During The Blitz there was a group of dedicated individuals called The Bomb Squad and they ran around St. Paul’s dousing bombs (10-second delays) with water. One bomb didn’t detonate and was found 3 days later right next to St. Paul’s. When it was detonated at a safe location some days later, it left a crater 100 feet wide.

St. Paul’s also has a crypt below with many famous people interred; including Lord Nelson, The Duke of Wellington, John Donne, and even Christopher Wren himself. While the more famous heroes have very lavish monuments, Wren’s simply says If you seek his monument, look around you, and it was written by his son. Learn More at Wikipedia…

NO PHOTOS ARE ALLOWED WITHIN ST.PAUL’S CATHEDRAL … however, when you climb up to the Stone and Golden Galleries, you are allowed to take photos of the view of London.

The Whispering Gallery: 259 steps up (still inside the Cathedral)

When we got up to the Whispering Gallery (the whole intention of the trip) and I was so out of breath because of my asthma. Once we’d sat and rested for a bit, I walked to the opposite side of the Gallery and we both leaned against the walls. It was a bit busy so I had to say fairly loudly (to the wall at an angle) “Hello CW” until he heard it on the other side… but it did work in the end!

The Stone Gallery: another 119 steps up (total: 378 steps)

We emerged outside of the Cathedral and were prompty informed that the doors to access the Golden Gallery will be closing soon. We barely stop for a couple photos of the view before we are headed up again.

The Golden Gallery: another 152 steps up (grand total: 530 steps)

What a gorgeous view of London from up here.

As corny as my post’s title is, this week’s Booking Through Thursday question is:

Who is your favorite Male lead character? And why?

Why do I always have to pick favourites? Can’t I just talk about a Male Lead I like? I refuse to pick favourites because I can never remember who I like and why. I read books for pleasure and don’t tend to store them in my long-term-memory. In fact, I don’t store much in my long term memory… I’m not even sure I have one. However, I present:

Richard Rahl of the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind is an amazing Male lead. He has the Gift (which means he is a Wizard), but doesn’t know it (in the first book) and his Grandfather (who he didn’t know was his grandfather) is actually one of the most powerful wizards still alive and his father (who raped his mother) is actually the most powerful tyrant of D’Hara (but Richard doesn’t know that is his father either). So he really comes into his own in these books, although he never gets to properly learn how to be a Wizard (unlike Harry Potter, it’s not that simple) and he ends up meeting Kahlan, the most beautiful woman (and he doesn’t know until later that she is one of the most powerful women in the world, Mother Confessor, and the last remaining Confessor).

In fact Richard doesn’t learn a LOT until later… He is thrown into a war and a thickening plot of which he is the center of by birth; but because of how and where he grew up, he knows absolutely nothing. I think that is part of the appeal of this character, because he knows absoltuely nothing of what he is capable of he does it all by instinct. It’s actually amazing to watch his character develop over the series (11 books in total).

It’s a very complicated series, but the first book is Wizard’s First Rule and worth a read if you’re into fantasy!

ABOUT THE SERIES & BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This part is complicated so grab a cup of tea/coffee/cocoa and take a deep breath.

Richard Cypher (he doesn’t know he’s a Rahl until Book 2) knows nothing of the rest of the world (which has been partitioned by a wall for all of Richard’s life)… he lives in Westland has never heard of Magic (and the Westlanders like it that way). Richard’s mother used to live in the Midlands with Richard’s Grandfather (Zedd Zorander, First Wizard), but she was raped by Darken Rahl.

Zedd left with his daughter to Westland and then put up the walls to separate the lands as Westlanders didn’t want magic, the Midlands wanted to be free, and D’Hara’s current ruler, Panis Rahl was just evil. (Very complicated let’s not get into it… ancient magic and such). Panis Rahl (Darken Rahl’s father) was killed by Zedd’s Wizard Fire and Darken Rahl was burned with it. Darken Rahl wants revenge on Zedd and starts to play with underworld magic to rule the worlds.

Kahlan, as Mother Confessor, rules the Midlands (a lot of free lands under one rule) and D’Hara are at war (again) when the walls separating all three lands falls. Confessors have a “power” that if you are touched with it, you become their slave. You want only to please them and the rest of you melts away… Darken Rahl orders all the Confessors to be killed and Kahlan only escapes because she crosses the wall into Westland to find Zedd. It is only then that Richard learns all these crazy things about the world and his own family and self (very sheltered and naive boy you know). Of course, you need some romance in the books… Richard has already fallen in love with Kahlan but she is worried because when a Confessor makes love her powers come through and she destroys whatever the person was prior (making them purely devoted).

So you have wizards, evil, romance, history & revenge, ancient magic, underworld stuff, destiny, and destruction… and this is just the first book!

THE BOOKS

• Wizard’s First Rule
• Stone of Tears
• Blood of the Fold
• Temple of the Winds
• Soul of the Fire
• Faith of the Fallen
• Pillars of Creation
• Naked Empire
• Debt of Bones (Prequel)
• Chainfire
• Phantom
• Confessor

Here’s a little homage to Sweeney Todd I found at the present day Fleet Street.

Street sign to prove I was actually ON Fleet Street

This sign was above some design store. I couldn’t actually see a Barber Shop, unless it was down the cross street.

One of the local taverns! “Beef” eh?!