This morning I set out across the bridge over the Rhine. At one point, as I looked down at a barge passing below, I had the strange feeling that the bridge was moving. It is all a matter of perspective. I crossed the border into Germany a little before noon and found a cafe for … Continue reading Big Trip Day 5 – Strasbourg to Freiburg
Author: Derek Lee
I was born in Croydon, South London and eventually settled in Northamptonshire. After more than 30 years as a clinical psychologist in the NHS, my welcome retirement finds me dabbling in bits and pieces - e.g., writing, running, martial arts and photography.
Big Trip Day 4 – Reims to Strasbourg
I was out on the road this morning for about an hour until I got a short lift to a motorway. The road is very, very long and not much traffic. There is wind and rain (more accurately drizzle) behind me, and miles of road ahead of me. I am about 35km from Châlons-sur-Marne. I'm … Continue reading Big Trip Day 4 – Reims to Strasbourg
Big Trip Day 3 – Rouen to Reims
This morning I wandered around Rouen in my characteristically aimless way, until suddenly I... ...left world of hustle and bustle to find myself surrounded by crumbling "Tudor wood-framed" houses, yellow with age; narrow streets, houses towering either side. Saw 12th to 14th century Church of St. Ouen, and may have seen the place where Jeanne … Continue reading Big Trip Day 3 – Rouen to Reims
Big Trip Day 2 – Dieppe to Rouen
It is interesting how our early lives provide us with the templates for later. I spent a long time this morning wandering around a large housing estate in the suburb of St. Aubin-sur-Scie trying to find a road out of Dieppe. As I said, things do not change. I eventually found the Paris to Rouen … Continue reading Big Trip Day 2 – Dieppe to Rouen
Big Trip Day 1 – From Croydon to Dieppe
The title does not have the same ring to it as Patsy Gallant's From New York to LA, but it serves my purpose. It was fifty-two years ago today, in 1973, that I set out to hitch-hike across Europe on my own. The trip was originally planned with my friend Iain, but he had to … Continue reading Big Trip Day 1 – From Croydon to Dieppe
First Run in a Hopeful Year
Today saw my first run in several months. It was short (1.5 miles), it was slow (19:50), it was a mixture of running and walking - and it was a great feeling! I was running in a new area, along quiet paths next to a small lake, and the air was clear and not too … Continue reading First Run in a Hopeful Year
Final Run in a Fallow Year
I think it is important to try to end the year on a high, and so with this in mind I set out for a final run in Wicksteed Park this morning. It is unseasonably warm here in Northamptonshire at present, even though we have been under a blanket of grey sky for a good … Continue reading Final Run in a Fallow Year
Catching Up – Again
My goodness, I have been away from here for too long! It looks like I completely disappeared after my Solo 100km Challenge in June 2020, and perhaps in some ways I did. There are times when our daily lives take over, when running (for example) is relegated in that ever-growing list of priorities demanding our … Continue reading Catching Up – Again
Solo 100km Challenge – Week 4
The Challenge: To run 100km in 28 days.Organiser: Great Run – with profits going to NHS charities. So, we arrive at the final week of the solo challenge. This nail-biting tale of running derring-do approaches a conclusion. It has been a slow-burning story, very much like a Nordic screenplay carefully layering a narrative interleaved with … Continue reading Solo 100km Challenge – Week 4
Solo 100km Challenge – Week 3
The Challenge: To run 100km in 28 days. Organiser: Great Run – with profits going to NHS charities. Here is a quick run through of Week 3 of this epic adventure. Monday 25th May 2020 A warm and sunny bank holiday Monday, so off to Wicksteed Park again. Not feeling too sharp today and I … Continue reading Solo 100km Challenge – Week 3
Psychologist on the Move 