Here are the programmes of the two English Speaking Church Services in the Nyon area over the Christmas 2015 period at  La Côte church and Westlake Church.

The weather is a bit inclement at the moment so if you are looking for suggestions for a day trip out you might like to know about the l'Hermitage museum in Lausanne. This Art Museum is situated at the top of the town and set in some lovely parkland and mature trees. There are good views from the front of the building over the  roofttops of Lausanne to the cathedral and lake (when its not raining of course!). This art museum is housed in a beautiful 19th century former home and it holds temporary exhibitions on fine arts throughout the year. At the moment the Fondation de l'Hermitage is presenting a major retrospective devoted to Edward Hopper , one of the best known 20th- century American artists.  This is the description of the exhibition from the Hermitage's own site "The Hermitage brings together over 160 works highlighting the main characteristics and techniques of every period of Hopper's career, from his view of Paris to typical scenes from the New World and his emblematic mature works"  Next to the museum there is a brasserie/restaurant housed in the old dovecot (try the chocolate fondant on their dessert menu- delicious!) Full information on opening times entry fees etc is on the l'Hermitage website and in English. Note - the museum is closed on Mondays apart from the Jeune Federal Holiday (20 September). If you have time while you are in Lausanne then check out the cathedral with its  magnificent stained windows. The walk up to this cathedral is up some lovely old wooden covered stairs from Place de La Palud.  Note if you are travelling by public transport there is also a bus stop just on the road outside the cathedral which will take you up to the L'Hermitage. The cathedral has the most incredible organ too. Inaugurated in 2003, it is the "only one of its kind in the world by virtue of its design (American manufacture by Fisk, Italian design by Giugiaro), its musical characteristics (French classical and symphonic styles, German baroque and romantic) and its dimensions (nearly 7,000 pipes, 40 tonnes, 150,000 hours of work to complete)." from Lausanne tourism site.  Concerts are held there regularly.

Base Nyon - A Modern and Innovative Place to Stay in Nyon Whether you are thinking about moving to Nyon, if you have arrived here with a family and are starting an expatriate life, or you simply need a place to sleep while on business, staying in a serviced apartment hotel is often a very good option for visiting and working in the town. Having the facility to be able to prepare meals with on-site laundry facilities while looking for permanent accommodation is particularly useful.  Nyon has seen considerable economic growth over the past 10 years and consequently has attracted many international companies* to the region, so the opening of  Base Nyon just over a month ago is a most welcome and much needed facility. 5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor Four weeks after opening, the hotel is already rated 5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and has started to receive some excellent reviews from "Excellent stay" to "Outstanding service and modern rooms". It has also been nominated for the ‪#‎ TUMIxWIRED‬  Innovation in Travel Awards. Photo above - Base Nyon Convenient for the train station  The hotel itself is at Rue Jules Gachet 2,  a one minute walk from Nyon railway station. Trains from Nyon go directly into Geneva airport (a 25 minute journey) and leave very early in the morning, early enough to take the first Swiss, Easy Jet or British Airways flights to London and other European destinations. Trains also run late at night from the airport back to Nyon. A Fresh Approach to Hotel accommmodation  The hotel itself is a new type of accommodation co-founded by Frédéric Mydske and James Fry, two entrepreneurs who are passionate about convenience, service, comfort and value. They spent two years researching the idea of Base Nyon (including chatting to Living in Nyon in the early stages) and a further three years to secure the site and obtain the necessary permit. Based on first-hand experience of working with and talking to guests about what they need, their fresh approach to hotels is free from the constraints of a large corporate structure. The Hotel's Facilities - from Easy check in to Easy cooking to Easy biking! The hotel has the services of a 4 star hotel and has many facilities designed to take the hassle out of travel and the traditional rental sector. Photo above - the reception area The Facilities Include: A bright airy and welcoming reception area with members of staff ( Ecole Hôteliere de Lausannne trained ) to answer questions and help guests, and with free coffee and soft drinks on hand. iPads are available for use, there is free WIFI and VOIP phones offer free local calls and low cost international calls. No filling in forms when you arrive at a hotel with the same information you entered online to make the booking! At Base there is no need, the touch screen terminal has it all recorded. It's quick, easy to use and does everything from scanning your passport to giving you your key card. Check out is also via smart phone or via the internet TV located in your room. A Base Breakfast Bag full of goodies, everything from croissants to gluten free bread and Swiss granola can be ordered and delivered to your door by 07:00 every day (except Sundays) and a whole lot more can be provided. This innovative concept avoids paying the usual high flat fee as you would normally do at a hotel.  If you just want a juice and croissant, you just pay for that! Photo above - Breakfast brought to you in a bag! A Base Box offers returning guests the option of using their own personal Base Box. If you re-book with the hotel, you will find a Base Box in your suite the day before you leave.  You can fill it with your food and drink, any clothes or files/books etc you don’t want to take with you.  The hotel will store it securely in the basement and return it to your new suite before you return. An innovative facility resulting in the traveller having to carry less luggage and leave less waste behind! Base Bikes  Base Bikes (BBs) are available for guests and free for the first hour (small charge thereafter) and can be used to explore the local area, pop to the lake for a coffee or to get to and from work. For guests who would rather bring their own bike there is space to store it in the underground secure underground area. Gym at Base Nyon The hotel also has a gym in the basement with cardio and strength equipment. Fast Wi Fi There is fast WiFi  available to all guests throughout the building A "Green Hotel"  The building and operations practices at Base include: high levels of insulation and triple glazed floor to ceiling windows, efficient temperature control and automatic sun blinds, low water usage equipment, solar panels, chemical free cleaning products. Every suite will have ‘Stop The Water While Using Me!’ natural and organic cosmetic and bodycare products. Read more about the hotel's sustainability policies click here The Suites! There are three different sizes of suites offered at the hotel: The Base Suite, The Base XL Suite and the Base Penthouse. To find out more about the accommodation and see photos of all the suites in detail click here Eating back at Base For guests that don't want to cook for themselves in the individual kitchen of the hotel suites,  Luigia (the famous Geneva based Italian restaurant) has established a restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel - serving a large variety of fresh Italian food and a wide range of beers, wines and cocktails. Drinks on the Roof at the Base Balcony Bar  And last but not least, the Base Balcony Bar with its views of Lac Léman and the Alps beyond is the perfect place for hotel guests (and their friends) to unwind. *International companies/organisations in the region include  Generali, EMS, Novartis, Hublot, Beckman Coulter, General Mills, UEFA, Puig, Kodak, Vertex and many trading companies in Nyon, WWF, IUCN, Swissquote in Gland,

Once again Nyon Tourisme has launched a summer competition for the public to vote for the prettiest café/restaurant terrace in Nyon. If you have a favourite place that you think fits the bill, then voting for one of them in this competition, gives you the chance to win gift vouchers from 250 up to 1,000 chf to be spent in local Nyon shops. The only place that is excluded from this competition is the Auberge du Château which won the competition last year. Look out for these leaflets below to vote. They can be found in Nyon tourist office and various outlets around town. Good Luck!

International Gateway to Africa Conference,  April begins today 4-6, is open to the public . Gateway to Africa is the first in a series of conferences that seek to bring together statesmen, academicians, doctors and experts, as well as world renowned keynote speakers to discuss the critical issues facing Africa. The topics will address economic development, public health and medicine, energy, education, Africa in international politics, security, youth and the empowerment of women. Among the featured keynote speakers will be:  Mr. Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States              Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations              Mr. Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom              Mr. Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City Also in attendance will be a host of experts on the various topics.  It is free of charge to attend but you need to click through to the website to register.

If you didn't get the chance to see any documentary films during the Visions du Réel festival, there is an opportunity to watch a selection of the winning films chosen by the various juries at the 2016 festival. The films will be screened at the Salle Communale from 10:30 onwards. A day pass to watch all the films costs 38 CHF or 10 CHF for each film. Photo above - courtesy Visions du Réel. Still from the film "The Dazzling Light of Sunset"  This film is about the working life of a  journalist working at a local TV station in Georgia and will be screened at 14:00. See trailer below. Here is the full programme o f winning films with full details of screening times and explanation of films (English translation available) The festival itself was declared to be a success with around 39, 000 festival goers over the eight day period, an increase on last year.  A final round up of the festival will be posted shortly.

There is  a  "back to school" feeling around Nyon at the moment, as "La Rentrée" - the return to school for state school children began last week and it will soon be the same for children attending private schools.  For adults wanting to go back to "school" themselves, there are further education options available in Nyon with classes through Migros Ecole (the classrooms and the reception are  just below La Combe shopping centre).  Their brochure for 2010/2011 lists courses from French to Cooking  to I.T  e.g (Power point, Photoshop) to dancing Rock and Roll. They also run some courses in English, such as drawing and painting, art history, and "exploring wine tasting". See website for more info . If you are interested in learning music then the Conservatoire of Nyon (on the lake side) opens its doors this week for  "organisation and registration" and its courses officially start next week. The Conservatoire has an excellent reputation for its teaching of adults of children and adults in a wide range of musical activities from jazz workshops to learning guitar, flute, piano, harp, trumpet. The Conservatoire also organises Sunday afternoon classical and jazz concerts fot the public.  See their website for full listings and you can read more about it her in a previous post on Living in Nyon.  Photo above  - a concert at the Conservatoire of Nyon.

Photo above: courtesy Caribana - copyright Robert Leslie Lou Reed, Kasabian and Pony Pony Run Run are the latest names to be added to the line up for this year's Caribana festival which will take place  down by the lakeside in Crans sur Nyon from the 6-10 June. Legendary Lou Reed *returns to Nyon and will play on the (grande scène) big stage on Friday 8th, Kasabian ( one of the nominees in last night's Brit Awards in the British Group category) are due to perform on Thursday 7th,  and French electric rock band Pony Pony Run Run . Gossip and Keziah Jones  are also on the Caribana line up. The full programme will be revealed at the end of March. Details of tickets and purchasing here. *Lou Reed came to Nyon back in 2010 for the world premiere of his film "Red Shirley" which he presented at the Visions du Réel Film festival (read here )

Although the weather is not entirely Spring like at the moment, the Spring Fair will take place in Nyon this Saturday 1st June . Stall  holders selling a variety of products will be in the town centre from 08:00 to 18:00 Also this weekend, it's the second part of  "Interculturelle" . This initiative which  this year takes place over 2 separate weekends, aims to show the diversity of the different nationalities that live in Nyon and the area.  Last week, there was a Canadian pot luck supper organised in the Salle communale  followed by an Italian/ Kosovan evening, and this Sunday 2nd June there will music and traditional dancing from different countries performed down at the Rive (by the lake side) from 11:00 onwards. Photo below, traditional dancing at a previous "Intercultural" event.

Photo above - the Orchestre da Capo On Saturday 25th May in Nyon, the Orchestre da Capo will play alongside four graduating students from the COV (Conservatoire de L'Ouest Vaudois) at the Temple de Nyon (in the centre of Nyon) at 18:30. The four soloists - Helena Ricci on harp, Béatrice North, Luca Gendre and Florian Widmer on piano will be performing a variety of music including Handel, Mozart and Chopin. To reserve tickets for this event (Adults CHF 20, Students/A.V.S  CHF 15)  Children/ Members COV  CHF 10  Call 021 -802 4393/ 022 - 994 23 60 or click here . New members wanted for the Da Capo Orchestra!  - Get to know new people The Orchestra de Capo  is an accomplished amateur chamber orchestra that that has been performing in and around the Nyon area for many years under the direction of Ahmed Hamdy (in photo below) and it is looking for new members (in particular violinists and violists). If you play a musical instrument and are interested  in playing with a friendly group of musicians, then the above concert is an ideal way of hearing them play and it's also an opportunity to have a chat to members to find out more about the orchestra. English spoken! If you are en expat who hasn't yet mastered French,  then do not worry, director of Da Capo, Ahmed Hamdy is multilingual and so are many other members of the orchestra including Timothy Geer (in photo below). Timothy works for WWF (the Worldwide Fund for Nature) in Gland, he is originally from the U.S.A. and has been playing double bass with the orchestra for over seven years. He says it is a great way to get to know new people from the area, it can help in the integration process, and provides for a good social life outside work.   Those who have heavy travel schedules can still apply, Timothy himself  travels a lot for work  purposes but manages to squeeze in rehearsals when he can! Timothy will be happy to chat to anyone who would like to know more about the orchestra. Email tgeer@bluewin.ch call 079 229 0821 or call Jacqueline Mayor 078 647 2843

Here is an eclectic mix of news and events coming up in the Nyon area and further afield. There will be a "Vernissage" at the Roulotte (the converted railway carriage behind the railway station) tonight,Thursday the 27th August at 18:00 featuring the artwork of Jean Claude-Bordier. The vernissage will then be followed by a Blue Grass concert by the band "Crazy Pony".   Nyon Regional TV is back on air!  After a tricky few months for NRTV as its future was at stake,  Nyon Région Télévision  (the local TV station) is now back on air and will make its first broadcast tonight Thursday 27th at 18:00. More info on the station coming up later on this site. La Côte's English Column A reminder to readers that the "Living in Nyon" column continues to be published in English in  La Côte newspaper every Thursday. The column is a light-hearted look at living in the area from the view of a British expatriate. Castle Wine Cellar Now Open  The atmospheric wine cellar of Nyon castle has now re-opened for a new season and it will begin a season of jazz apéros and "raclettes a gogo" in the coming autumn and winter months. Note: this "cave is also available for rent for private groups and events. The Parenthèse (Nyon's underground music venue) has released its music programme for the new season featuring bands from Switzerland, the U.S.A the U.K and more  - Click here for the programme    Dates for your diary Elevator Pitches at Brits in Business Brits in Business are holding a series of 5 minute elevator pitches on the 8th September at the British Government Offices in Geneva from 18:00 to 20:00. Brits in Business is an informal networking group where individuals help each other to generate business opportunities. It focuses on the British entrepreneur, but is open to all Anglophones in business. Their evening events include elevator pitches, speed-networking, they also invite guest speakers to share their experiences. Click here for more info  Nyon's outdoor pool closes on the 8th September - Clinique la Lignière's indoor pool open all year round Nyon's outdoor pool is due to close for the season on the 8th September, however this doesn't mean you can't continue swimming in a lovely setting in the autumn and winter months, as the indoor pool at Clinique La Lignière (just past Gland), remains open all year round. The centre also also holds Acqua Gym classes, Swimming lessons, Jazz exercise, Zumba circuit training and lots more. Click here for info Addams Family spotted in Carouge!  Family entertainment The Really Youthful Group section of the Geneva Amateur Operatic Society will perform "The Addams Family" at the Casino Theatre in Carouge on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th August. Synopsis below (by GAOS) The  musical combines the twisted, macabre and just plain weird with charm, wit and enchantment. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart, “normal” young man from a respectable family. The Addams family hosts a dinner for Wednesday’s new boyfriend and his parents. Wednesday instructs her family to act normal, but from the moment Lurch ushers the guests into the mansion, Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Uncle Fester and Grandmama fail to meet the challenge — with hilarious results. Chaos ensues and Uncle Fester, trying to be helpful, instructs the Ancestors to create a sudden, terrible storm, trapping everyone in the mansion for the night — a night that will change the family forever. The Addams Family by the GAOS Youth Group is a send-up of the traditional horror-story genre — perfect for kids of all ages. For tickets - click here Meet and Mingle Event on September 3rd on board the Henry Dunant Boat Meet new people and/or bring  friends to a Meet & Mingle evening on the lake organised by Léman Events Departure from Lausanne-Ouchy at 18:10 and return at 20:20 with the possibility to stay on board until 21:00. *The special price of CHF 20 includes: 1st class cruise, 2 drinks (range of beers, wine or alcohol free) and snacks. More details - click here How to Succeed in Swiss Politics with an accent! BPW, the Business and Professional Women Network will be holding  an informative presentation on Tuesday, September 8 th , 2015. Details below

Nyon's agenda for June is jammed packed with many events happening around the area and music festivals big and small scheduled over the entire month   Living in Nyon will be featuring a few of these but if you want the full agenda in its entirety then you can pick this up from Nyon, Rolle or Morges tourist offices. Note: Sometimes there are coipes of the agenda in the racks outside the Nyon cinema. Gardens Open From the 1-3 June the gardens of the Chateau de Vullieriens are open from 09:00 -18:00 with their famous collection of 400 varieties of irises, roses, other flowers and sculptures  See the site for full details. Free Sunday lunchtime Music Concerts This weekend on the 5th June the free Sunday music concerts (from 11:00- 13:30)  by the Roman columns in Nyon begin again and continue until the 5th September. See Association de la Place des Maronniers Book Fair Book fair on the 12th and 13th June from 09:00 to 18:30 it's the Book Fair down by the lake in Nyon, thousands of second hand books for sale. See Quartier de Rive Note to all readers, if you have emailed the Living in Nyon editor in the last few months with any questions or if you have sent articles, then please send them again to cnp at bluewin.ch (the pc of the editor has shortcircuited which has resulted in a loss of data)