Parallel worlds. By Ombeline DESJONQUERES & Marie CANAMAS

To tramp

To rest

The black and white photo, taken Place de Jaude, shows Clermont-Ferrand as an average French city: the usual shops, obligatory tramway, busy people going about their business.

The second photo, taken in a narrow little street near Place de la Victoire, shows Clermont-Ferrand as peaceful and secret, different from other places.

We took the first photo on a really sunny and very hot Tuesday afternoon, after school. We were really exhausted and were quite in a rush to take the photo before going to our extracurricular activities. The photo we finally took corresponds very well to our states of mind at that moment. At Jaude, we heard the usual urban brouhaha: cars, buses, the tramway, busy people. We not only smelt the tarmac and filth but also the odour of make-up and perfumes from girls we bumped into.

We took the second photo on a sunny but windy Wednesday afternoon, in the historical district of Clermont-Ferrand. We were really curious and enthusiastic about discovering a whole new area of the city in which we’ve lived for years! We only heard the distant noise of the town and the wind whispering through the trees. We smelt the fragrance of leaves but a sweet odour of cinnamon pastries coming from a bakery as well…

To tramp emphasises the pedestrian aspect of Clermont-Ferrand, the fact that, in many aspects, it is like every other town. It is blurred, adding to the feeling of movement. The tramway is about to cross our field of vision. People tramp hurridly past. Behind them is the dark reflection of a sad seventies mall in the shop front of a boring new shopping mall. The only thing in focus are the sempiternal brand names; globalization strikes again! The first tramline in Clermont-Ferrand, the first to use electricity in France, was put into service on January 7 1890 by the Electric Tramway Company. For us, the tramway is a reminder of the midday rush, when we are crushed by the smelly and noisy crowd. As for the mall, it’s only a place for shopping, which may seem entertaining but actually, it’s really jam-packed and therefore, very exhausting.

To rest contrasts with the first picture, revealing the calm, intimate side of the city. We opted for an "old photo" effect to convey an "out of time" feeling. We left the door frame on the top and left as a frame for our picture, to give a "secret garden" dimension. Past the black wooden door, we catch sight of a patio, bathed in sunlight. Around a table, large dark green metal chairs and white-arabesque-shaped ones seem to be chatting, half-hidden by lush bushes. Above the arch and shadow of the Volvic stone fountain, there is a welcoming half-opened window, red geraniums overflowing from a window box.

What is surprising about Clermont-Ferrand is that there are places that are so different from each other so close by; that is why we finally gave as a common title to our two photos: Parallel worlds. 

There’s a huge contrast between those two photos. The first one represents a scene we could see anywhere in any town. This tramway, this mall, and these people we see so often we don’t even notice them anymore, these brands, they are all the same in the whole world!

But if you take time to go for a walk off the beaten track, you’ll discover charming tiny details that will bring you happiness because they’re so unexpected. The silence, the calm of these labyrinthine streets will make you feel happy and fulfilled whereas the boring town centre conveys sadness and weariness.

The first photo shows a really superficial aspect of Clermont-Ferrand. Jaude, even though it’s a pretty awesome square, is a place where the vast majority goes; therefore it has become common-place and charmless.

In contrast, the second picture presents an unknown part of the city, where very few people go though; it’s a really inspiring and relaxing place.

The first picture evokes at the same time the feeling of speed and weariness, whereas the second one shows the bohemian and quietly welcoming aspect of our city.