Clermont-Ferrand

Today I visited Clermont-Ferrand, the capital of the Auvergne region. It's a city of around 150,000 people, and I couldn't help but notice a lot of resemblances to Edinburgh. Firstly, the landscape around the city consists mainly of dormant volcanoes, which are called "Puys." The most famous of these, the Puy de Dôme, towers over the city in a decidedly similar fashion to Arthur's Seat. Also, the city is a mix of gothic and Georgian-esque architectural styles, and over time the buildings have been blackened by the local coal industry. As you can see above, central Clermont-Ferrand could quite easily be mistaken for Nicolson Street.

My guide for the day was Antoine, who I met via CouchSurfing. He works for a local water company, and one of the perks of the job is access to the VIP area at the Stade Marcel Michelin, named for the tyre magnate who gave the city its other major industry. He drove me to Clermont, where we spent the afternoon mooching around the city centre and then headed to the stadium to watch the evening's premier league rugby match - ASM Clermont versus Grenoble.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, and we had prime seating behind one of the goalposts. Just behind our seating area was a large room running the entire length of the stadium which contained an unlimited open bar and a buffet. Never one to refuse free food, I gorged myself on quiches, bite-size hamburgers and sandwiches, and finished off with a champagne flute full of chocolate fondue. (My healthy eating regimen continues apace.)

The match itself was fairly lively, and I noticed several interesting things - a conversion is called a "transformation" in French, which sounds altogether more profound, and the ASM supporters' band played "Bad Romance" by Lady GaGa whenever their team scored a try. Perhaps most amusing was the ulterior motive behind the VIP box - business. During half time and even during play, the assembled movers and shakers could be heard haggling and negotiating; two men in front of me missed the first try because they were showing eachother photos of second-hand lorries. Antoine informed me, "When you go the cinema you get a kiss at the end of the night, but when you go to the rugby you get a truck."

The final score was ASM Clermont 44, Grenoble 20. Not a bad result for my new local team!