And I watched the penultimate stage of the Tour de France this year with awe as the guys I’d seen with my own eyes sprinting past the house 4 hours earlier reached the finish line.

But it’s with equal pride that I am thinking of keeping a tally of the Mont Ventoux ascents achieved by my cycling house guests.

The early arrivers of my June group of house guests did all three routes to the top (starting and finishing at Le Colombier).

I’m listening in to the plans. It seems that there will be at least one or two breakaways from choir practice who also have the Mont in their sites. Rachel – my sous-chatelaine for the month with a fitness to die for – is tempted to join them.

Of course I’m encouraging her. What a personal souvenir to take back the other side of the world.

And talking of Rachel – look out for her guest blogs coming soon.