Serenity and stress. By Juliette CAYLOU & Samuel JORGE

We wanted to take a picture of the Jardin Lecoq to show how beautiful Clermont-Ferrand can be. This 5-hectare park, designed by Paul de Lavenne, dates from 1912. Birds fly all around the garden, the trees are grand and there are flowers everywhere. People are happy in this place of serenity, after school or work, away from the cars; they can relax and try to forget their daily problems.

There is noise and pollution in the second photo. People suffocate in this city; smiles are rare, and everybody is always in a hurry. It sometimes feels like a prison. But, because people have to work and shop, stress is an inevitable part of city living.

City life is sometimes calm, sometimes busy.