Doug Poll is part of the well-oiled cycling team at the London Borough of Southwark. As well as auditing the area’s cycle-parking facilities he is instrumental in reporting back to the council on the miles of cycle routes that run through this busy part of the city. Along with friend Jason Wood, a debt recovery manager for AXA, the pair – both seasoned travellers on and off cycles – decided to be influenced by the good food in Rick Stein’s programme aboard a barge on the Garonne in France and took to the cycle paths on a couple of folding bicycles. The lads admit they used to be firm CTC trippers but got fed up of eating sandwiches in bus shelters and decided on a more gourmand bike ride! This is their account of their journey travelling along the, Canal Latéral à la Garonne, Canal du Midi and the Canal du Rhône à Marseille from Bordeaux to Marseille. (more…)