Photo above and below from "A Home Far Away" - courtesy Visions du Réel The second review on this site of a film to be shown at Visions du Réel 2012, has been written by Trish Thalman. Trish is originally from California and lives in Gland and has been reviewing films for this site for the previous two years. Read her personal footnote to the film at the end of this review and see a trailer of the film. "A Home Far Away" directed by Peter Entell. Screening Sunday 16:30 at the Salle Communale, and Monday at 12:15 at the Capitole 1 Cinema. Note: Tickets can now be bought in advance for each screening via the Visions du Réel website or at the central box office in Rue des Marchandises near the Salle Communale. The opening scene of this compelling, historical and bittersweet film shows a large bulldozer on a cold winter day in Switzerland, taking a bite out of the roof of the former home of Edgar Snow, his wife Lois Wheeler Snow and their family, now empty and without purpose. It is a strong visual metaphor for the unfolding story. We will see the house razed to the ground during the documentary. Life changes things. The film gives us the first person, face-to-face account from Lois Wheeler Snow, still a strong minded and proud, articulate woman at age 90. We learn of the exciting, happy life she shared with Edgar from their early courtship in the 40’s, when she was a Broadway and Hollywood actress, and Edgar was a world acclaimed journalist, right up until last year when the film was made. Edgar’s seminal work, ‘Red Star over China’ in 1937, introduced Mao Zedong and the Chinese Cultural Revolution to the world, and made him famous and controversial at the same time. Eventually they would marry and have two children. Lois would continue acting, and then move into TV in the 50’s. She would find herself ‘blacklisted’, unable to get work, because of the McCarthy Era and the House Un-American Activities Investigations related to people, particularly writers and actors, who were identified as having Communist ‘sympathies’. The Snows left the US and moved to the Lake Geneva Region in ’59. Their intention was to be in Europe for one year and then return to the US. The Swiss welcomed the family and acknowledged Edgar’s prestige in China and around the world. Lois admits that she had a nice life in Switzerland, and did not miss the theatre, “until later”. She felt lost and isolated, as nobody in Switzerland knew her or of her theatrical career. She looses her US theatre contacts. She wants her old life back. The Snow family never return to America. They remain ‘transplanted’ in Switzerland. Lois goes to China for the first time with Edgar in 1970. His previous visit to China was in 1960. She is pleasantly surprised at what she sees in China, and warms to the very special welcome they receive from Mao. But, Edgar feels puzzled and deceived; the Revolution is not making changes he expected to see. Truth is vague. It is Edgar’s last visit to China. He is ill and will die 2 years later. We are given insight to the scrapbook of Lois’ life with Edgar, along with her belief and support of the Cultural Revolution, and then life without Edgar. After the ’89 Tiananmen Square Massacre, Lois goes to Beijing, stands-up to and opposes the Chinese saying “you are wrong”. There are wonderful, warm personal film-clips, photos, and memorabilia along with Lois’ wistful comments to the camera about life in the US, Switzerland and China, and the impact of Edgar’s China association in their lives. She has to make decisions about what to throw away in the house, and from her life, before the demolition gang arrive. She will be moving on. Her life story continues, but without items from her previous life. The memories remain. As the house comes down, there is sadness, yet acceptance of her life now, and what once was: beliefs and ideals, hopes and dreams. Everything changes. There is loss. Lois comments to the live camera “the past becomes the past”. She has changed. China has changed. Trish's personal footnote to the film "The closing shot of Lois in new flat shows the framed poster that appears behind her in old family film footage. I had that poster too. It got wrecked. It says: " War is not healthy for children and other living things". We (my generation) all had that poster and 'quoted' it quite often". See U tube trailer of film here

Photo above outside Angelika Chollet, the stylish gift and home accessory shop on Nyon's Rive. The posters and signs are now up around Nyon for Visions du Réel. This is an international documentary film festival which opens on the 20th April and runs through until the 27th, and is a major event in the Nyon calendar. Not only does the festival bring representatives from TV stations from all over the globe to watch, choose and buy films for their viewers, but it is an important event for documentary film makers too. Films shown at the festival cross many categories. They range from those made by first time film makers to films from seasoned directors. Many of these films are entries in to competition at Visions du Réel and prizes are awarded in various categories on the final night of the festival. This year Visions du Reel will screen a selection of the prize winning films on Sunday the 28th April in the Salle Communale for those who missed out during the previous week! Also new this year, the festival will be collaborating with Elastique Citrique, the circus school (next to the bar of the festival) to provide entertainment for the public. As red is the identifying colour for both the circus school and the festival, this colour will also reflected in the shop windows around Nyon during the week of the festival. Photo above: Luciano Barisone (sourtesy Visions du Réel -Miguel Bueno) Luciano Barisone, festival director told Living in Nyon that there are plenty of films on the agenda this year for the anglophone public. One particular film on this list "A Home Far Away" has been made by Peter Entell, an American film maker who lives in the Nyon area. The film synopsis reads: "Lois, an American actress, and her husband, Edgar Snow, the first journalist to have reported and filmed the Chinese revolution, are suspected of Communist sympathies and forced into exile. They end up in Switzerland, near Nyon, half way between the US and China. Long after, when Edgar has passed on, Lois tells all. A story of utopia and disillusionment takes shape before the camera". Photo: courtesy Visions du Réel We will be reporting on this and reviewing films throughout the festival. The full programme catalogue is now available in print form with a full listing of the films and you can pick a copy up at various outlets: Nyon tourist office, the cinema etc. The full programme is also available on line here and in English. Tickets are now on sale through the site and through Star Ticket. Full details here La Roulotte opens on the 15th! Spring is here which means the opening of La Roulotte! This temporary summer café created out of an old railway carriage and positioned behind Nyon station, has become a popular fixture over the last two summers for both commuters and locals alike, for breakfast, lunch or an after work drink. The café reopens on the 15th April at 16:00. See site here

Photo above: Courtesy ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson) of The Bianca Story, performing at the club. The barefoot writer is back! Regular readers of Living in Nyon may remember the great reviews of both the atmosphere and the music from Paléo 2010 written by Jonas Parson (a.k.a "the barefoot writer"). Last year Jonas went travelling to Australia and to India and for the first time in his life he missed Paléo! However he has now returned to Switzerland and we are happy to report he will be writing for this site again during this year's Paléo and on other music events that are happening around the Nyon region. Jonas is now studying philosophy and French literature at the University of Lausanne, and says he spends his time reading a lot, practising at the Nyon circus school, and hanging out at the university student pub. He also says - "I'm happy Spring is back as it means I can put my shoes away and happily tread the barefoot path of freedom". Jonas has written an article below called; "In between the brackets - a night out at the "Parenthèse", on the small but influential music club in the heart of Nyon. Read on to find out more about the concerts at this venue, the club's music policy and how it is now acquiring a reputation for attracting new and exciting new bands from all over the world. In between the brackets - A night out at the Parenthèse- Jonas Parson Strolling along the Grand-Rue in Nyon, you've probably already gone past the Parenthèse, just opposite the charming cobble-stoned Place du Marché, maybe without even knowing it was there. Photo above C. Nelson- Pollard - The venue (enter the tunnel here in Grand Rue next to the music shop to find the Parenthése) Venturing down a small tunnel dating back – according to the stone carving above the entrance- to the 17 th century, you find yourself in front of the entrance to this small bar dedicated to promoting live music in the area. Plunge down a flight of stairs, and you'll find yourself in what used to be a wine cellar; this is no place for the claustrophobic! The slightly cramped feeling is actually one the charms of the place, making it a small and cosy venue: narrow and long, the bar at one end, the stage at the other, and a dozen tables along both walls. The club entrance - Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson A little bit of history of the club The Parenthèse opened in 2008 with the idea of promoting music -rock in particular, but also widening the range to other styles in Nyon. Concentrating mainly on local bands at first, the team at the Parenthèse gradually developed a network throughout the region and started hosting bands from farther afield. The walls of the Parenthèse were soon reverberating to the tunes of bands from as far away as the United States, or from slightly more exotic places like Estonia with Ewert and the Two Dragons , who'll be 'folking' around on the 27 th of April. See Utube video of their recent hit "Good Man Down". Promoting and sharing music - The Parenthèse philosophy. Not satisfied with being just a bar that stages live gigs at the weekend, the Parenthèse has a philosophy of promoting and sharing music, an approach that sometimes seems to be becoming all too rare in the world of contemporary show-business. Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson Their contacts and the reputation they've built means that this modest venue is hot on the heels of the ultra-professional rendezvous like the Eurosonics in the Netherlands, an annual and much vaunted conference/showcase between programmers and bands. In fact about a dozen bands who played at the Parenthèse last year went on to play at Paleo Festival the same year, with some bands also playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival or the Printemps de Bourges. The pay check is symbolic This is what the Parenthèse has to offer to bands who come to play in Nyon, as the pay check is more symbolic than anything else in a bar where entrance is free. “ We basically provide board and lodging, pay for them to come to Nyon and for a sound engineer. But they won't get paid much else. On the other hand, the interesting part for the band is that we'll be able to put them in touch with clubs and festivals” explains Benjamin Zumstein, one of the founders of the Parenthèse and in charge of the venue's music programme. “ We all eat together before the gig, and it's a great way to share stuff and meet people. Band members also get free access to the bar all evening, which is something that you don't see much any more”. The Parenthèse is organised along voluntary lines (the association“La Parenthèse culturelle” was created last year), and membership fees cover the expenses related to hosting, feeding and producing the bands at the venue. It is just CHF 50chf become a member of the association, note: you don't have to be a member to go to the club or see a band. “We reckoned this was the best way to keep the spirit of sharing alive. It also means the bar itself, which is a limited company, can try and cover the bar expenses quite independently. As entrance is free, we're not actually making any money for the time being, so the idea is to try and limit the losses. The bar is open five nights a week, which means we need to pay a full time bar-tender, and there aren't that many people popping in for a drink during the week. So after the summer break this year (well yeah, it's the festival season, and people would rather go and have a drink outdoors than in a cellar!), the bar will only open from Thursday to Saturday.” Attracting a varied public The club attracts a varied public, ranging from teenage music fans to older people happy to come for a drink in a place where they know they'll discover new music and a truly eclectic line-up, the Parenthèse is a fine place to go and chill out, have a drink and discover some very cool music. La Parenthèse, Grand-Rue 22bis, Nyon. Here's a latest list of the complete line-up of bands playing up to the summer break or see site here March 29 – No Mad (F) 31 – Se3en (CH) April 5 - Teletextiles (USA) 6 – Chloé Mons (F) 7 – Sound of Guns (UK) 13 – Jerrycan (CH) 14 - CATS ON TREES (F) 18 – The Travelling Band (UK) 19 – Maia Vidal (ESP) 20 – Joan and the Sailors (CH) 25 – Peasant (USA) 26 – Will Samson (UK) 27 – Ewert and the Two Dragons (EE) May 5 – Appletop (F) 17 – Kandle (CAN) 19 – The Deers (CH) 25 – Fog Horn (USA) Concerts are free, and usually take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The bar can be rented out this summer for private parties, the money will help continue bringing bands to Nyon and keeping the concerts free. Photo above: Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson. The group "Owwle" at the Parenthèse.

It's the annual chocolate festival in Versoix this Saturday 24 and also on Sunday 25 March. This festival is hosts to lots of chocolate makers and open for the public to try out, and buy all sorts of chocolate. There are workshops for children, there's an egg hunt on Sunday, a choco train, and lots more. This festival is a great day out for families and for chocolate lovers. Open 09:00 to 18:00 both Saturday and Sunday. Note: this is a popular event and parking can be tricky, so best take public transport to attend the event. The 23 minutes past the hour train from Nyon (change at Coppet) only takes 17 minutes to arrive in Versoix, and the festival is next to the station. The 33 mins past the hour train takes longer as you need to change in Geneva to get to Versoix. Details of festival here The opera "Nabucco" by Giuseppe Verdi will be performed by a professional opera company from Poland in Nyon on the 6th July. This will take place in the magnificent setting of the grounds of the place du chateau in Nyon. The prisoners chorus in the open air! Tickets via Starticket or at Manor, the post office, and at the CFF train station. Hear more about this production from Olivier Mayor (the municipal in charge of culture for Nyon), in a news item on Nyon Regional TV in this short video below. Vues sur l'Actu du 20 mars 2012par nyonregiontv

Photo above: Caribana 2012 logo reflected in the merchandising. Caribana Festival revealed its full 2012 music programme today March 28 with, (according to Pascal Vuistiner, press officer for the festival) "an explosive cocktail of music". This cocktail includes a mix for all music lovers, from the calm acoustic sound of Lucy Rose from the UK playing on the beach stage on the Thursday evening, to the electro pop of Marina and the Diamonds to the punk rock of the Dropkick Murphys on the main stage the same night. There's Ska on offer from the Specials, Reggae from Stephen Marley, Alternative/ Samba from Lail Arad and the big attraction for many - Lou Reed playing on Friday night. Follow our Tweets! Living in Nyon also tweeted the news of line up of some of the bands the same morning. Are you following the Living in Nyon tweets? Take a look at the bottom of this site for the tweets imparted by Julius Caesar, Roman emperor, founder of Nyon (and now Tweeter). Utube video of Marina and The Diamonds (she will be supporting Coldplay on some of their European and U.S dates). There's Rock and Roll/ Soul music from the band Vintage trouble, Rap from Grand Corps Malade and alternative rock electro from 2 manydjs (DJ set) on the Saturday night. Below: U tube video of R&B/Soul/ Rock and Roll Band Vintage Trouble from Los Angeles U.S.A There's lots more on offer and as usual on the Sunday of the festival is the day for families and children with Caribana kids (more on this to follow). Below: Jérome Haldemann, designer of the 2012 Caribana poster next to his original artwork . Jerome says "I chose the monkey as it injected a sense of humour to the poster, and I chose the colours as they reflect the fun and dynamic nature of such a festival". Jerome's entry to the competition to design a poster for the festival was among 16 received by a class of apprentices from ERACOM, (the college for apprentice graphic designers in Lausanne). "The great thing about this project was that it was purely my own work, when you work with clients in graphic design it can often be a collaborative effort and you don't necessarily get to work on the project right through to the end, but with this one I did, and am very proud it was chosen for such a great festival". Note: Caribana tickets are now on sale and although they don't tend to sell out as fast as Paléo tickets, don't wait too long to buy them! You can read all about the previous Caribana and other music festivals here on Living in Nyon, just click on the top bar "film and music festivals".

Here is the second film review from Trish Thalman on the film "No Estoy Muerto Solo Estoy Dormido" (I’m not dead, only asleep) directed by J.S Lopez Maas. She says "this is an interesting insight into the Afro-Peruvians living in Peru and I encourage people to go and see it. It's delightful with beautiful photography, wonderful people and opens a new perspective on the cultural history of Peru. Ths film will be shown again at the Capitole Cinema at 18:00 on Monday 23rd April. Full details see Visions du Réel site Donkeys and Afro-Peruvian music, both are the soul and spirit of the multi-faceted elements in the history and culture of Peru. Expansive, sunny vistas of the beige, arid plains of Peru, tame donkeys trailing the rope from their harness in the sands and the pulsing beat of a double base welcomes us to an unexpected story of contrasts. Donkeys, as transportation, beasts of burden, and a member of the family with good teeth. Some donkeys never ‘suffer’ the indignity of being ridden by anyone. They are given food, shelter, a good brushing to remove the ever-present dust from their greige coloured, hairy coat and best of all, they are cared for as if a beloved child. They pull the cart, overloaded with dried cornstalks. No complaints. A cheerful mestizo man tells his delightful story of donkeys, mules and horses that are his life. He was kicked out of military school at age 10. When he returned home, his adoring grandparents gifted him a donkey, even if he had been a bad boy at school. The donkey was his soul mate and friend for eight years. Now he rides an energetic, low-slung donkey through the fields. Two smaller donkeys come running quickly behind the man and his transportation. We are told that if you are good in life, your spirit returns in the soul of a donkey when you die. This is positive news. Does a Peruvian really die? A young Afro-Peruvian digs up the lower jawbone of a donkey from the desert sands. It becomes a musical instrument with rattling teeth and hollow percussion sounds when tapping and scratching the solid bone. We hear the voiceover of a man telling us of his father’s death accompanied by the same sound of the double bass beat. A funeral altar is carried with love and respect through the streets of El Carmen, a main center for Afro-Peruvians, their music and history. Amador Ballambrusio, an exalted musician and central figure in Afro-Peruvian culture has died. Thousands throng the streets, dancing and singing to the exhilarating music, carrying their candles and offering their homage to the man they loved. Fireworks round off the funeral parade. Amador, along with his 14 children, was the heart and soul of the musical Ballambrusio Family. Their music typifys the unique sound and beat that exquisitely combines pulsating African music that has been passed down since the 1500’s, when Africans were first brought to Peru to work the gold mines, and the indigenous music of Peru mixed with Spanish musical heritage. The son explains that the spirit and soul of his father will not die. He was a good man. His spirit is here. “When father died, my sisters screamed and fainted. Then we had a party, made music and danced”. The family are at the graveside of their father with musical instruments. They are dancing and singing: making music for their father. The donkey’s jawbone is there. “I will die only when you no longer remember me”. Amador Ballambrusio

Happy Easter to all Living in Nyon Readers! If you are in Nyon over the Easter holidays, check out the decorated fountains across the town. These have been decorated by different voluntary groups and societies to celebrate the end of winter - when the water begins to flow again from the taps of the fountains.

Photo above: taken at Geneva Car Show 2012. C. Nelson-Pollard Flat to rent in Crans-Céligny available from 1st May 2012 Ground floor flat, 2 double bedrooms Large bathroom with bath, shower, WC. Separate guest WC Separate laundry & tumble drier. Lounge & beautifully equipped kitchen Garden, patio and large sunny terrace. Double garage. Cave with 25 m2 storage /work room, Temperature - controlled wine cellar. Surface without the garden and patio is 91.26 metres. Terrace 17.50 m2 Garden 103.90 m2 Cave 23 m2 Rent: CHF 3,500, plus charges. For more information and visit please call 024 420 23 44 or 076 559 41 52 or email desgeorge@addypac.ch "The Cat without a Tail " - Puppet Show in Nyon at the Usine a Gaz on Wednesday 14th March at 15:00 for children up to 12 years of age. Performed by the "Théâtre de Marionettes de Geneve" . Doors open 30 minutes before the performance. For reservations, more info see Usine a Gaz Tel 022 361 44 04 Rugby Match Saturday 17th March- Switzerland versus Slovenia 15:00 at Nyon Rugby club. See site for more detailsF_O_N Funky Orchestra - Nyon. A new band is being formed with a funky R and B sound! L'ADAC (The Association of Creative arts ), l'Ecole de Musique de Nyon and the l'Usine à Gaz are getting together to form a new group made up of musicians of the area. The group will be called F_O_N, Funky Orchestra-Nyon. This group will be directed by Dominique Favre, (professional musician) and made up of 8 to 15 musicians . These musicians will be chosen via audition in the following fields: drums, base guitar, keyboard, wind instruments and vocals. The repertoire will cover from the "70s" to today's music with intepretations from Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Tower of Power, Michael Jackson, etc. The aim of the group is to perfrom two or three times a year at the Usine a Gaz. For more info dates/ times etc contact Enzo Miraglia 076/441 07 10 or see website here

Photo above from Tahrir: courtesy Visions du Réel Film review from the Visions du Réel festival of "Tahrir – Place de la Liberation" directed by Stefano Savona. Note: Although this film is not scheduled to be screened again in the official programme, a selection of prize winning films from the festival will be shown on Saturday 28 at the Salle Communale from 14:00-20:00. The awards ceremony will take place Friday 27th April and the results will be announced here on this site. This film was shown on Sunday 22nd April at the Usine a Gaz and is reviewed by Trish Thalman. She says it is a "visually exciting and important film". 31 January 2011, the sixth day of the Egyptian Revolution, and the the centrepoint is Tahrir Square in Cairo. Thousands of men, women and children are there with a united goal: they want the Mubarak regime to fall. The Revolution against Murbarak began because of the social injustices that the people of Egypt had suffered over the past 30 years. The recent fall of the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia had given Egyptians courage to stand up and protest. "You feel the jostling, taste the dust" In this film we are ‘on the ground’ though the hand-held camera that takes us right into the centre of Tahrir Square: the action, yelling, chanting, violence, blood and rock fights. You feel the jostling, taste the dust, smell bodies and blood. This visually exciting and important film follows the erratic and dangerous actions of the people that begins as a peaceful protest and culminates in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak eighteen days later. Three young activists are the main characters who weave through the film and tell a story of protest, liberation and concern. They have ideals, belief, education, energy. They are on their phones contacting everyone they know to spread the word, encouraging them to come to the square and be part of the revolution. See a trailer of the film here The crowds get larger and more tenacious. Mubarak gives a speech to the people imploring them to leave Tahrir and to “help me make the Guinness Book of Records”, as the longest serving elected President of Egypt……30 years in October 2011. The people listen, are appalled and stunned by what they hear: a man out of touch. The chanting, the singing, the protesting continues. More and more people come to the square, defiant and courageous. "We are Egyptians". The Muslim Brotherhood makes a patronising appearance at a rally of thousands to promote their agenda. The three young activists are concerned that the party will not allow a secular state, in spite of their promises to do so if they come to power once Mubarak is gone. Kentucky Fried Chicken is handed out for free Contentious, daily life in Tahrir continues with prayers, people sleeping, talking in groups. Kentucky Fried Chicken is handed out for free. Nobody is hungry. There is awareness that the revolution is leaderless…..not organised. Who will succeed, what will happen when, not if, Murbarak goes? The peaceful protest turns violent when the Murbarak regime release over 1000 prisoners from jails. They are given 5000 pounds, guns and knives and told to support Murbarak and destroy the protestors. There are deaths and massive injuries. The frenzy of bodies being removed is seen in blurred vision, because the revolution has now become a blur. The protestors break up the tiles and road pavements to be used in the fights - us against them. A particularly strong scene shows a young woman gathering up the ‘stones’, as many as she can carry in a jacket, and walking with determination and purpose to get to the ‘front lines’. She reaches a point and dumps the rocks for all to see. There are many takers to pick up the stones. We see the ‘makeshift’ headgear that the protestors have contrived to protect themselves from the stones that are being thrown by protestors and the ‘thugs’: cardboard, plastic rubbish bins, or whatever has been found for protection. Many protestors now have bandaged heads, bloodied faces, bruises, are hobbling with canes. The doctors and nurses treating the wounded in the square are bloodied and bandaged themselves. The young people ask to the camera, “who created this chaos, us or them”? There are moments of doubt. Murbarak resigns. The cheers go up and party goes on for hours. Exhaustion rules. A final chilling scene shows a woman and others looking at the camera and giving a warning: “beware we aren’t being fooled”. What do they know? Photo above: courtesy Visions du Réel

Photo above of the Paléo Buddy App. A phone application with all the info on this year's Paléo. "Paléo is going to be a multicoloured festival this year" revealed Daniel Rossellat in front of the multi coloured fesival poster at the 2012 Paléo press conference today the 17th April. This year the conference was held in the Globi Union headquarters in the centre of Nyon (the current Paléo offices are being renovated) . The conference hall was partly decorated with Middle Eastern decor to refelect the music which will be played this year in the Village du Monde area of the festival grounds. It was also revealed at the conference, that the programme was only finalised just that morning. Paléo staff had been working through the night negotiating to get the final confirmation from Manau Chao that he would appear. At 06:39 the confirmation came through and the rush then was on to get the programme finally printed for the official line up to be released. As usual at Paléo there are some big names who will be headlining the festival this year such as Sting who will perform on Thursday 19 July. He is expected to give a "best of the last 25 years" concert. Photo above Sting- - courtesy Paléo festival - Norman Jean-Roy Manu Chao and Franz Ferdinand will kick the festival off on the opening night on the 17th, the Cure and Bon Iver are scheduled for Weds 18, Lenny Kravitz Friday 20, Garbage, Bloc Party and the Kooks on Saturday 21, David Guetta and Roger Hodgson (ex Supertramp) on the Sunday. The full programme is on the Paléo website and on the Paléo App. See video below of the Kooks performing "Junk of the Heart" courtesy Paléo festival The Kooks - Junk Of The Heart (Happy) par EMI_Music Daniel Rossellat also told the press that because he now also holds the position of Mayor of Nyon, his time is now more restricted, therefore he hasn't been able to travel to as many music festivals as he would have liked over the past 12 months. However, he was able to visit the Lebanon and Israel and he is pleased that the festival will be bringing acts over from the Middle East to perform in the Village du Monde. Some of the acts such as those from Syria are very keen to come here despite the fact there is a) no Swiss embassy in Damascus and b) they will have to travel to the Lebanon to obtiain a visa to travel to this country. Photo above courtey Paléo festival- Broukar A group composed of five Syrian musicians and an imposing Sufi dancer. Tickets - Get in line or online! The advice for buying tickets is the same as in previosu years on this site, get in line early or online! Tickets go on sale at midday on the 25th April and by past experience they sell out very fast indeed! Here are the details of the ticket outlets Good luck!

Photo above - Daniel Rossellat at Paléo 2102 Living in Nyon has begun a new series of interviews entitled "Afternoon Tea with..." in which we interview local personalities from the Nyon and la Côte region. We find out a little bit more about the professional and personal lives of each individual over afternoon tea. Photo above and below, courtesy - La Boîte à Thé This first interview was held in La Boite à Thé in Rolle. This lovely gem of a place has been previously featured on this site see here. The tea room has two quiet rooms to sit and sip teas from around the world. It also has a good selection of gifts idea for those last minute Christmas presents! For this first interview, we caught up with Mr Rossellat the day before he was due to take a flight to Côte d'Ivoire. Read on to find out why he was making the trip to West Africa, and how he divides his time between his two roles; mayor of Nyon and President of Paléo festival. We also find out which musician he hopes to hear play in Paléo one day, his vision for the future of Nyon and what he will be cooking for Christmas dinner in 2012! Photo above - courtesy Daniel Rossellat Mr Rossellat, you are en route to Abidjan, what are you expecting to find or hear there? I’m going to Côte d’Ivoire for the meeting of the Association of Francophone Mayors. I haven’t had the chance to attend for the past couple of years, and this year the meeting is being held in Abidjan. The Mayor of Quebec asked me to be a member of this association, but I wasn't sure about it. I thought that perhaps Nyon was too small a town and that joining the Assocation didn't seem to be a logical step to take. However, after I spoke to the president, the Mayor of Paris, he repeated that he wanted Nyon to be a member. He pointed out that Nyon was well known in the French-speaking world and has a good reputation due to its festivals. I think it’s an interesting platform for exchange and dialogue, especially for the Canadian/European francophone mayors to meet and listen to the African francophone communities. How many times a year do you travel to hear new music in your role as President of Paléo? In the last twelve months, I’ve been to Nashville to the Bonnaroo Festival, to the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Quebec Summer Festival, as well as visiting Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine to hear music for the Village du Monde area of Paléo for 2012. This autumn I have been to Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa, and soon I'll be going to Zanzibar, to do some research for next year’s festival. Have your tastes in music changed over the years? When I was 15 or 16 I was already listening to an eclectic mix of music, but I didn’t have such an extensive knowledge of music as I do now. Over the years I have discovered a lot more about classical music too, and I continue to listen to classic rock, folk, pop and world music. I’ve also got to know a lot of styles from Asia, Africa and Latin America, where there are some music fusions that are still not that known over here. The first time I went to China, I thought that the same song was playing over and over again all day, but I've learned since that is obviously not the case, it's just that our ears have to get accustomed to new sounds. Have you come across any real surprises when visiting countries? I’m always very moved by countries that are full of history. For example, when I went to Israel, Lebanon and Jordan, no matter how much you read up or look at pictures before you go, you can’t imagine what it feels like to be in a place with such ancient and recent history. It’s the same in the Far East, where there is such an incredible heritage of different civilizations. There is also plenty to discover in places with more modern history. What is the idea behind the Village du Monde? The goal is to look for a wealth of different music and culture. We want to show cultural wealth of places that not everyone knows. This year it was the Middle East, next year it will be the Indian Ocean, and the year after that it will be the Andes Cordillera. We then look for artists that correspond to the different styles of music, find the cuisine and artisanal goods, and then think about décor and the staging. We want people that have already been to the region to recognise their surroundings, and people that haven’t, to be transported somewhere new. Photo above - A volunteer painting the scene for the Village du Monde area. The rumour is that you have a vision board of artists you want at Paleo, including Sting. Who else is on the list? When we first started the festival there was a certain list of artists that we dreamed of hosting: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Sting. So far we are still missing Eric Clapton, Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney. We ask Clapton ever year and hope that one year he will make it. What do you personally think the secret to Paléo's success? I think the secret to Paleo’s success is the values that we have stood by since the beginning of the festival: the respect for the public, the volunteers, the artists and the environment. Being open-minded and tolerant towards other cultures is important to us. I don’t think that it has been difficult to uphold these values, but there is certainly always a risk of arrogance that comes with success. I believe that we should never forget those fundamental elements. How do you divide your time during the week between Paleo and Nyon? On Monday morning, I have a finance meeting at Paléo and then a meeting with the director of Opus One (an events company) until 09:00. I then have a meeting with the sustainability team of Nyon, followed by a meeting with the different heads of department of the town. At 11:00 sharp I play tennis, and then it's on to a municipality meeting. On Tuesdays I spent the entire day at Paléo, and Wednesday and Thursday in Nyon. On Friday mornings I’m at Paleo, and the afternoon is flexible. On Saturdays I go through my messages and emails from the week, and on Sundays I prepare for the week ahead. As Mayor of Nyon, do you have a personal vision for how you would like to see Nyon in 10-20 years time? The ideal would be to have kept the soul and the character of the town along with creating new infrastructure that has met the needs of a growing population. Combining these two needs is a constant challenge. Photo above - view from the roof of Nyon high school We are trying right now to ensure the town isn't simply a museum where time stands still, but somewhere that is vibrant and interesting to live and visit. We are keen for it not to turn into simply a dormitory town for commuters who work elsewhere. With all the new construction in Nyon we also are trying to ensure that each new area has a soul and a centre to it with a social life. We also don't want to end up with areas that end up with different classes of areas ie: one is business class and the other "economy class". What programmes or support is there to facilitate integration between the incomers and the local populace? There is no specific programme such but we are working on this. To be honest I think the amount of expatriates that have recently arrived here took us a bit by surprise. We weren't quite ready but we are addressing the issue now and trying to make the town and information on living here more accessible. Some expatriates are only here for a few years. How can these newcomers get the most out of their time in Nyon? Whether you are single, married, with or without children, I would say try to join a local club such as a sports club or some other kind: it's a good way of meeting locals. If you can't do that, then I would say keep things "local" as much as you can, go to a music concert or arts event in your area, and eat in local restaurants: it's a good way of discovering what's out there. I try to do the same when I am travelling, if I have a meeting say in a town in Brazil I don't then eat in a restaurant say in a Hilton hotel, I go out and eat in a local Brazilian place. If you know you have a fixed time here then I would suggest that you explore your local area. When the time comes to leave you will do so having got to know a little bit about this part of Switzerland. Finally as you are such a busy person with your two roles, how will you spend Christmas day? Are you able to totally “clock off”? And what will be on the menu for the day? Christmas day is a rare day when I truly do switch off. I don't look at emails at all and I look forward to being with my family and having some down time. As I like to cook, then that's the day I will be in the kitchen. I am not sure what I will be serving yet, it could be volaille, it could be something else. With out any doubt though the meal will be served with a good bottle of wine. I am very interested in wine, I like a good Swiss wine of course but I'm also fond of wines from the new world such as Argentina or Chile. ------------------- Keep checking out this site for more "Afternoon Tea with..." interviews coming up in 2013. If you want to find out more about the Paléo festival or local politics in the Nyon area, just type in "Paléo" or "Politics" in the search button at the top of this site to read previous articles.

Photo above - A "sitting room" alongside the lake, part of Nyon flea market. A selection of weekend events chosen by Jonas Parson - Living in Nyon guest writer Night-Time Skiing and Fondue in St-Cergue Enjoy skiing down St-Cergue's two slopes lit up after dark, with unlimited access to both ski-lifts. Once you're done with the snow, treat yourself to a fondue in one of the restaurants associated with the offer. Special offer costs 33 CHF per person for skiing and the fondue. Available Tuesday to Saturday, from 18:00 to 21:30 . Booking a table at the restaurant is advised. Telephone numbers of all the restaurants and more information on the St-Cergue tourism office website: Click here Photo above - Fleamarket stall in the old town of Nyon, courtesy Jonas Parson Flea Market in Nyon on Sunday 24th February Every last Sunday of the month, there is a traditional flea market that takes place along Nyon lakeside. Walk along the lakeside, stroll by stalls full of (sometimes intriguing artifacts it's and fun for everyone, even if you're not looking for anything in particular. From 08:00 to 18:00 " Sons of Noel and Adrian" at La Parenthèse British band "Sons of Noel and Adrian" will be playing at La Parenthèse this Saturday night. Critically acclaimed for their second album, this new-folk band based in Brighton are know for their epic live performances, sometimes bringing on stage a number of their musician friends. Their music is powerful and light at the same time, with haunting vocals similar to alternative band Beirut. Check their website for a video of the band.Click here and read an interview here. Click here The concert is free.