We were privileged to have over 13 of the brave and determined competitors for Ironman Nice stay in our apartments in June. After the race, I caught up with Holly Turner and Brooke Brown – two female competitors and both of them now my heroes. They both beat over 54% of the 2,500 competitors. I was delighted that they were prepared to share their experiences with me.

Of all the many annual festivities which take place in Bormes les Mimosas, my personal favourite is the Pentecostal Fete du Village in May. Held over Whitsuntide weekend, this three-day event really does have something for everyone – processions, street-theatre, children’s games, music, fireworks, dancers and dancing, jazz bands, food, craft exhibitions - all taking place in this most beautiful of medieval hill-villages.

On the Riviera, from July to September, the hills are alive with the sound of Jazz and becomes that time of the year on the Riviera when visitors spurn the beaches in favour of more cultural pursuits. And it’s not just the tourists: locals too are slipping out of shops and offices as they respond, like the children of Hamelin, to the call of a distant music. The entire coast, from Toulon in the west to Menton in the east, is a feast of jazz festivals.