I KNEW the Auvergne was very much the rustic heart of “real” France – France where speaking in English just won’t cut the moutarde, and the two-hour lunch is still as fundamental to life as buying only a French-manufactured car. And, yes, all of that was borne out within the first hour of arriving in Clermont-Ferrand, but there were many surprises too once I delved into this beautiful region.