The eighth "Festival Festival du Film Vert" is touring towns and villages both in the Canton of Vaud, Geneva and neighbouring France over the next couple of weeks and there will be screening a selection of films in Nyon on Sunday 17th February. The first film to be shown at 10:00 is called "LoveMeat Tender" which questions the consumption of meat in our lives. At 14:00, the film "Le Dernier Carré de Chocolate" - "The last Square of Chocolate" - gives the story behind chocolate looking at the "economic and political realities: corruption, assassinations imprisonment, civil war speculation and exploitation". The final film to be screened at 15:30, is "Tout Cobayes?" - "Are we all guinea pigs?" which discusses the use of GMO's and nuclear power All three films will show at the Ferme du Manoir in Nyon (this is very near the castle) in Place du Château, Rue Maupertuis and there will be a discussion after each film( in French). For full details of all the towns that are participating in this festival click here and for the festival and film details click here

Whether you are just starting your Christmas shopping, or looking for last minute gifts, a reminder that there will be late night shopping in Nyon until 22:00 on Wednesday 19th and Friday 21 December. There will be free local buses provided on these evenings for those who want to avoid driving into the town.

Last year the "Fun Fondue for Newly Arrived Expatriates" event was a great success, so much so, we are repeating it again! This event which is a joint collaboration between Nyon Region Tourism, Living in Nyon and subsidised by Ecole-Club Migros, will take place in the wine cellar of Nyon's Château on Tuesday 26th February at 19:30. So come along to a wine tasting and fondue evening. For just 20 CHF you can learn how to make your own fondue, discover more the Nyon region, ask questions about living here and meet new people at the same time! Places are limited, so please reserve by emailing michael.moret@nrt.ch by February 15th.

This is the second part of Living in Nyon's interview with U.S Film director Peter Entell - For part one, click hereTell us a little about your latest film "A Home Far Away" which is set in the Nyon area “A Home far Away” tells the true story of U.S journalist Edgar Snow, the first to film and interview Mao Tse-tung. Suspected by the American authorities of communist sympathies, Snow and his actress wife Lois were blacklisted and together with their two children, moved to Switzerland and ended up living in Eysins. This film has actually been many years in the making, I know the family personally and was aware they had a lot archive material that I could use and I was waiting for the right time to use this material. Once I discovered that the house where they lived was about to be destroyed, I felt the right moment had come to make the film". Photos above and below: Edgar and Lois Snow and family, scenes from the film "A Home Far Away" Note: readers will recognise a lot of scenes in and around the Eysins and Nyon area. You can listen to a more in depth radio interview (click here) about the making of this latest film and you can read a review of the film here. If you look at your very first documentary “Moving on : The Hunger for Land in Zimbabwe” which was filmed back in 1981, would you alter anything about it now? “I’m still happy with it, I think it stands the test of time. I happen to hit on one of the central issues that the country is still dealing with today that is; who owns the land and who is feeding the country? ” Your first film was issue driven, but your later films are more character driven. Why the change? “I began to think that politics is much more interesting on a very personal level, I think it’s only through individuals that you can talk about issues, even in “Moving on : The Hunger for Land in Zimbabwe” I focussed on individuals; one black farmer and one white farmer to compare the two. For another film in Mongolia I followed a family of nomads throughout the seasons, how they lived and their relationship with the land and their animals”. Do the characters individuals in your film find you, or do you find them, how does it work? “I usually find them but it can be bizarre sometimes how life works. For example, the back story to how my film “Shake the Devil Off” (www.shakethedeviloff.com) is interesting. Six months after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, a friend returned to her home there and she called me to say, “It’s going to explode down here, this is not a natural disaster, this is a human disaster waiting to happen. You have got to come over”. Photo above- a scene from "Shake the Devil Off" As I am my own producer and director, I didn’t have to consult anyone as to whether I should go. I just went. Sometimes you just have to work like this, you have to react to an ongoing situation, you cannot plan it. I hired an excellent camera man and a sound man, we travelled to the U.S and discovered my friend was right, we ended up in the middle of this incredible drama. The sound man had always worked on scripted films before where he knew the story was going and I had to explained we simply had to let the story develop on its own, we had to capture it as it was unfolding. I was lucky too that the camera man ( Jon Björgvinsson) I hired was available. He is a freelancer who lives in Nyon and travels globally for many TV stations. If there is a potential war developing or an earthquake etc, he will go anywhere at a moment’s notice. I paid for him out of my own pocket for this film, I took the risk. Once the film was made, I was able to sell it to various TV stations. Although the film lists me as director of this film I actually directed nothing, the film directed itself, surprising situations cropped up during the entire period. Everything was impromptu, I had no idea what was going to happen. The film was received very well in the U.S.A. It had everything in it: conflict, a charismatic priest as the central character, lots of tension, colour, great singing, it had the a narrative curve of a novel. The film won prizes too, the subject matter in it was a hot issue. My gamble had paid off. The two films you made “Josh’s Trees” and “A Home Far Away” cover subjects in which you had a personal attachment to them. Was it harder to make such a film? “Absolutely, I don’t actually like being in front of the camera myself, but in the case of the film “Josh’s Trees” I simply had to tell the story for his son. He had been my friend, the guy that I had been with in the Italan café all those years ago when we were young students, so after he died I knew I had to make the film. In doing so I had to ask some difficult questions, who am I in the film, how do I position myself? I also had to put in some narration even though I don’t really like that. I find commentary a bit too directive, I rebel a bit with the concept of the audience needing everything explained, I don’t think you need to take the audience by the hand. You should experience what’s happening, not be told it. Photo above -scene from "Josh's Trees" Tell us about your 1998 film “Rolling” set in Lausanne Lausanne is a mecca for roller skaters, it’s a city of hills and thousands come to skate there. A few years ago there was a small article in “L’Hebdo” magazine about the popular skaters in the town. When I am not making my own films I also work as an independent producer for Swiss TV, so I called these skaters up and said “we are from Swiss TV, we want to make a film about roller skating and we want to meet you”. We went along to a cafe in Lausanne, and all the skaters were sat around this one big table. So I asked them all to tell me a little bit about themselves. The last one to speak was Ivano. He said “to be honest, I think you have heard enough good stories, you have plenty to choose from, I can’t add anything.” Of course this instantly got me intrigued and I knew he was the one to focus on. It turned out he had Italian ancestry, his parents had moved to Switzerland to work in a factory. Ivano didn’t want to follow in their footsteps, he was trying to avoid it at all costs, so skating for him was an escape. Skating made life exciting. When he skated he was travelling faster than the cars around him, he was being chased by police cars around the town, he skated anywhere and everywhere, even backwards down the banisters of stairs! Photo above: scene from "Rolling" Ivano went on to open a skating shop and he actually became quite famous at the time, you could see him modelling skating clothes in adverts, everyone knew him. But as often happens when you get close to a character, you realise there is often a back story and the narrative can change. I was interested about what would happen after the glory had faded because inevitably as Ivano grew older he wouldn’t always be at the top of his game, inevitably there would be a 16 year old who would take over his place, and that did indeed happen. All photos above - courtesy - Show and Tell Films

Chess Tournament In Signy on 1st - 2nd Of February The Cercle d'Echec de Nyon is holding a chess tournament at the Signy Shopping Center this Friday and Saturday. The inscription fee is 10.- for the Blitz (rounds of 5 minutes per player) on Friday at 6pm, and 15.- for the tournament on Saturday (10am- 5pm) You can get more info and sign up for the tournament directly at Signy, or on this website: http://echecs-nyon.ch/Classical Music At The Conservatoire On Sunday 3rd February A quartet of singers will take you on a musical journey from the Renaissance to nowadays...a capella! The concert is at 5 pm at the Villa Thomas on the lakeside in Nyon. For more info and to book places for the concert, go to this website: http://www.covaud.ch/index.php/manifestations/concerts/152-3fevrier2013-quatuor-symphonique Quatuor Sine Nomine At The Colombière On Sunday 10th February The famous string quartet from Lausanne who celebrated their 30th anniversary last year will be playing Mozart and Brahms, with Romain Guyot on the clarinet, at 11:15 am in the Salle de la Colombière in Nyon. Tickets are on sale on the Migros Service Culturel website: http://www.covaud.ch/index.php/manifestations/concerts/152-3fevrier2013-quatuor-symphonique “Chains of Silence”- Simona Bonnano At The Focale Photo Gallery “In memory of all the women, young girls and children victims of silenc. Each photography tells the story of a women, a girl, a people.” (S.B) For the past few years, Simona Bonnano has practiced an art of photography devoid of human subjects. The dolls she photographs are the silent witnesses of all the violence, be it sexual, religious or cultural, that women suffer every day. “Chains of Silence” won the Julia Margaret Cameron Award 2010 and has been exhibited in Argentina, Israel and Turkey. The exhibition is open until the 10th March at the Galerie Focale on the Place du Chateau, Wednesday to Sunday, 2 pm to 6 pm. www.focale.chFondue Evening For Newly Arrived Expats! Newly arrive expatriates can come and enjoy a traditional Swiss dish- and learn how to make it- while learning more about local customs and other handy information. The event is organised by Nyon Region Tourisme, on Tuesday 26th February. More information soon!

The La Côte "personality of the year" Award At the end of last year, the local newspaper La Côte decided to host a competition to elect the most influential personality of the year in the la Côte region. This competition was part of the newspaper's aim to establish its role as an important player on the local scene. The final round of the competition was narrowed down to five people - see below. Readers were invited to vote for their favourite “personnalité de La Côte 2012”. Sport, Politics and Music The finalists selected by La Côte readers come from various sections of society and regions, from Morges, Jura, Nyon and Gingins. Ellen Sprunger - Olympic Athlete living in Gingins Youngest of the lot, and probably the one with the most international exposure is Gingin's own Olympic champion, 26 year old heptathlete Ellen Sprunger. She won the title of "feminine athlete of the year 2012", and competed in the London Olympics last summer, where she finished 19th. Alongside her athletic achievements, she is also studying for a Masters degree in sports. Benjamin Zumstein - Music promoter The next finalist is Benjamin Zumstein, whom Living in Nyon readers might recognise as the owner of La Parenthèse (see here for article on La Parenthèse), the music venue in the centre of Nyon. Benjamin Zumstein lives a double life: financial investment counsellor by day, he becomes the programmer of La Parenthèse by night, turning Nyon into an important place on the musical scene, helping discover rising bands- many of which then go on to play at the Paléo Festival. Nurria Gorrite, Yves Defferard and André Rosé - from the political scene The next two finalists share in common their socially committed political engagement- even though not on the same level. Nurria Gorrite, ex-”syndique” (the Swiss equivalent to a mayor) of Morges, is now a member of the Conseil d'Etat. From a working-class background, she continues to fight for the development of the region, especially when it comes to public transport. Yves Defferard is something of a local hero in the events that took place last year when Novartis decided to close down its factory in Nyon. Trade unionist for Unia- one of the big Swiss trade unions- he was one of the people who managed to make Novartis backtrack and stay in the area. Passionate about travelling-as a way of opening up to different cultures and sensibilities, he is also part of Amnesty International. Last but not least, André Rosé. Employee of Nyon municipality for 16 years, this ex-swimmer has always been extremely involved in organising all of the sports events- one of his nicknames is “Monsieur Manifestation”- ie “Mr Event”. Impossible to name all of the events he helped organise over the last few years; he was in charge of the big screen on the lakeside during the Euro 2008, he helped organise the first Fête de la Vigne in 2011 and many other events, such as the Swiss wrestling competition in 2001, or the numerous events at the Stade Nyonais and the Nyon Triathlon. A joint victory The awards ceremony was held at the Usine à Gaz- another important venue on the local scene, with a host of local personalities, and a series of concerts by local bands. Appreciated for their commitment to their respective towns and region by the readers of La Côte, Nurria Gorite and André Rosé were jointly elected Personality of La Côte 2012, with a shared total of 370 voices, thus linking Morges and Nyon ever closer. Quite a coup for the first instalment of what looks ready to become a new tradition in the area! Benjamin Zumstein also received a prize from the Commercial School of Nyon. Les Hivernales- Nyon's Newest Music Festival Nyon deserves its title of the "Town of Festivals", and in the past four years has added another to its list - "Les Hivernales". Thsi festival is spread out throughout Nyon in several different venues, and shakes the hibernating city out of its stupor for a week of frenzy and dancing through the night. Dedicated to the electro-rock universe (and its multiple and expanding sub-genres), the festival presents big headlines in its two main venues, the Usine à Gaz and the Salle Communale. But its success is due to the conviviality and proximity with the artists you can get in the multitude of satellite venues across town. From the Villa Niedermeyer on the lakeside to La Parenthèse, there are more than 9 different venues in which you can discover a rich line up of electro and rock bands. This year, Puppetmastaz, Naïve New Beaters or South Central will help you chase the winter away dancing. Les Hivernales Rock'n'Beat Festival takes place from the 28th February to the 3rd March. Check the line-up with this video, and get more information, including the full line-up, location of all the venues and ticket prices here. Apero Jazz at The Caveau de Nyon The Caveau de Nyon, situated under the Castle, is hosting a Jazz concert and “apero” on Thursday 28th February, with clarinettist Gilbert Rosman and guitarist Marc Vittoz. Enjoy some nice music while discovering some good local wine in a nice setting in the cellars of the Nyon Castle. Booking Required. More information here

Photo above taken on the Jazz Boat - a regular event at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The boat cruises around Lac Léman with live bands that play on board for music lovers. Late last night, the sad news came through here in Switzerland that Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival had passed away at the age of 76 after suffering a cross country skiing fall during the Christmas holidays. You can read the statement from the festival's own website here There is an interesting interview with Mr Nobs here on World Radio Switzerland broadcast in April 2011. You can hear how the festival first began, how he got the name "Funky Claude" in the famous Deep Purple - "Smoke on the Water" track and how he introduced Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull, to Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones at his chalet, high in the hills above Montreux. In this video link here, you can see inside the chalet where he entertained the stars that performed at the festival each year. You also can see Mr Nob's vast record collection, model train collection, and some of the instruments that were played by famous musicians in jam sessions at chalet. The video is in French and was broadcast on June 2012.

Photo above - Sledding and skiing in La Givrine near Arzier If you are about to move to the Nyon area, and want to know what it is like to live in the village of Arzier, then read this article by Laura Covino Kerpelman. She recently moved to this village in the Jura hills and has written about the beauty of the place, a little bit about the social life, she also touches on the current state of the housing market. You can read Laura's biography at the end of this post. Living in Arzier Motivated by my love of nature and beauty, I recently moved to Arzier, and am very happy here. There are some wonderful views to be had living at a high elevation, you can often see the sharp profile of the Alps against sunrises of delicate pale pink skies, and the majestic silhouette of the Mont Blanc emerging from the mist. All this beauty conveys a feeling of living inside a Ferdinand Hodler painting. Every season has its delights in Arzier Spring and autumn are colourful and cheerful. In summer, cows are out in the pastures, (you hear the sound of their bells all day long!) Hiking, biking, and VTT are popular sports nearly all-year-round. Winter is an especially festive, fun time. For winter sports lovers, Arzier is just minutes away from the St.Cergue - La Givrine- La Cure area. This provides great opportunities to practice downhill or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and dog sledding in a landscape of stunning beauty. Ski lessons and equipment rentals are available for all ages, and mountain restaurants offer fondues and other delightful regional specialities. A “Green” Attitude The commune of Arzier-Le Muids includes two villages: Arzier and Le Muids. Both are part of the Nyon district. The village of Arzier is located at an altitude of 881 metres. One of its greatest advantages is that the village is on the Nyon-St.Cergue-La Cure train line, which connects Arzier up to St.Cergue, La Givrine and the La Cure and down to the town of Nyon. It is then 17 minutes to Cornavin (Geneva train station) and a few minutes more to Geneva airport. Arzier is an approximate 15 -20 minute drive distance from Nyon and is provided with a wide and well-maintained main road. The commune includes 71% of wooded areas, which makes Arzier a true nature lovers’ haven. Choosing to live here means embracing a whole living philosophy, and an attitude well tuned with the spirit of nature. Woods, wildlife, snow and skiing are definitely a big part of daily life here! Hedgehog crossing warning signs, a mountain train breath-taking scenic walks through woods are just a few reminders of the place that nature occupies in this community. Road signs reflect the “eco-friendly” spirit of Arzier. Social Life and AttractionsArzier has a rich social life with its schools, local associations, a yearly arts and crafts market in early November, a ski-club, a badminton club, choir groups, different walking and fitness groups, the yoga center Yoga Arzier, and more. It also has a public library, and a day-care centre. On August 1st, the Swiss National Holiday, the commune throws a very popular party for all the villagers and their friends, featuring great food and an impressive firework show. On December 1st, Christmas trees are distributed to the village residents at no charge. Many local businesses have flourished here, and you can find out more by browsing the local website Both Arzier and Le Muids have a few good shops and restaurants. A couple are listed below. Photo above - The Delachaux Bakery Deliciously appealing, the Delachaux bakery and tea-room is right in the village centre. It is the place to stop at during the week or on weekend mornings after having picked up up your fresh newspaper for a treat of fresh bread, pastries, sandwiches and croissants. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Delachaux also own the St.Cergue bakery Open all week except Mondays. Boulangerie Delachaux, rue du Village 14, 1273 Arzier, Tel +41 22 366 3940 Photo above - the Auberge de L'Union Inn , ArzierRecently refurbished and tastefully decorated, situated in the village centre with an exceptional view of the Alps and Lac Léman, the Village Inn “L’Union” features a lovely hotel and restaurant. It is a wonderful place to try out if you wish to enjoy exquisite gastronomic meals in an peaceful, elegant setting, or to spend a few days in a relaxing environment. The restaurant is open all week and closed Sunday night, Monday, and Tuesday noon. Reservations are highly recommended. “L’Union” Village Inn, rue du Village, 1273 Arzier, Tel +41 22 366 2504 www.auberge-arzier.chThe Housing Market in Arzier Initially a small farming village, Arzier soon became a preferred summer and winter holiday destination for Geneva-based families. Its proximity to the St Cergue and La Givrine ski domains, the great views of the lake and the Mont Blanc, as well as the extensive walking tracks network contributed to make Arzier a very attractive location for residential living. The village has been steadily expanding in these past few years. Compared to other locations in the area, the great advantage of the local housing market is that in Arzier you can still have more for less. If you are looking for property in the area thenBellini Immobilier / Real Estate is the specialist of the housing market for Arzier and the surrounding region. The agency was started in 2005 by Milena Bellini-Sheppard, and proposes a wide array of customised services that cover real estate transactions including house-search for expatriates intending to relocate in the area, legal counsel for foreigners who want to relocate or buy property in Switzerland. English, French, Italian are spoken. Bellini Immobilier / Real Estate, chemin des Granges 19, 1273 Arzier, Tel +41 79 321 0164; milenabellinisheppard@gmail.com A lawyer by training, Laura Covino Kerpelman is a free-lance writer with work published in the Environmental Law and Policy magazine She is also an artist, and an art therapist. Her on-going projects are: producing an art book dedicated to the region she inhabits,. Laura has lived in Switzerland since 2005, and in Arzier since spring 2012. She has two grown-up sons, Michael and Alexander. Contact: lkerp@bluewin.ch

A Happy New Year to all readers! Many of you will already have received the Living in Nyon Winter newsletter which was sent out in the first few days of January. The newsletter contains a summary of previous articles published on this site over the last few months plus the news that the site now has two new emails. Please note that the old email cnp@bluewin.ch will no longer be valid for this site. The two new emails are: events@livinginnyon.com - This email is for individuals, companies, other websites, arts, theatre and music organisations to promote events coming up in the area. info@livinginnyon.com - This is for any other Living in Nyon business, including advertising enquiries. Not subscribed to the newsletter? Just add your name in the "sign up now " box in the top right hand corner of this site to receive the newsletter ( approximately 3-4 times a year). Here's an eclectic mix of news and events to begin 2013 plus coming soon on this site, an article on Living in Arzier by resident Laura Covino. New white taxed rubbish/garbage bags to replace black bags You should should have received information through your letterbox about the new white taxed rubbish bags that came into use on the 1st January 2013 in many communities across the canton of Vaud. There's more information on the official Nyon town site here There's a also good summary about this new law on the news site Geneva Lunch, click here, and an interesting interview about the new bags and how communes are affected by the new law on World Radio Switzerland, hereEvents this weekend - Sunday 6th January - Galette des Rois in Nyon. The annual serving of the "king cake" to children and adults in Nyon. It is difficult to get accurate information on this event, but it is assumed the procession will take place at 18:30 outside La Combe shopping centre and then move on to the Place du Chateâu. Also 6th January - The "Association des bains des 3 Jetées" invite members of the public to join them over a glass of Vin Chaud from 11:00 at the Bains des 3 Jetées itself. Usually this event also involves the serving of raclette around a big massive jacuzzi (after the swimmers in the association have dipped in the icy lake), however as the area is currently being redeveloped and modernised. a simple drink is on offer this year - However the association do say there will be some surprises on the day! Interested in photography? New art gallery opens in Lausanne There is an exhibition currently on until January 17 dedicated to the English photographer Simon Roberts in a newly opened contemporary art gallery in Lausanne. Two series of his work are shown, “We English” and “Pierdom”. All images have been taken in Great Britain. For more details of this new gallery and opening hours, click here. To find out more about the photographer, see his own website here Photo above from the "Pierdom" series. Description taken from photographer's site With Pierdom, Simon Roberts turns his camera to a specific architectural remnant that bears witness to leisure of the past—not just in England, but around Britain. Mostly built in the 19th Century along the coastline of Britain, these piers were originally constructed as landing docks for pleasure steamers, but progressively catered to the needs of seaside day-trippers, who were escaping the grime and smog of the cities. In their heyday, the ‘pleasure piers’ incorporated cafes, casinos, theaters and even tramways. While some were modest structures others were elegant and exotic, thrusting out into the sea with characterstic Victorian aplomb. At the turn of the last century, almost a hundred piers existed: now only half remain and several face an uncertain future. All have interesting tales to tell, usually involving fierce weather, boat strikes, fires and the practice of ‘sectioning’ in the Second World War, when many piers on the east and south coasts were partly dismantled to prevent them being used as landing stages by the Germans. Following in the footsteps of Francis Frith, whose company made the last major photographic survey of these peculiarly British structures in the early 20th century, Roberts has been documenting the remaining piers, mostly out-of-season, using his signature landscape style and traditional 4 x ” plate camera. The photographs echo his work in We English: topographical landscapes, sometimes figurative and with a minimal colour palette.

"God of Carnage," the next GEDS production in English is being billed as " A comedy of manners.. without the manners!" This Tony Award best play will be performed on 5- 9 March at the Théâtre de l'Espérance in Geneva and tickets are now on sale. For booking details click here Synopsis of Play below (in English and French) God of Carnage Two sets of parents meet for a civilized, grown-up discussion about the outcome of their two boys having a playground fight and the result is a very funny black comedy which not only entertains, but sets us thinking about the veneer of good manners which society sets upon us all. Charles Slovenski has assembled the following talented cast to bring this modern hit vividly to life: Robert Bartram, Chaitan Jain, Viki Lazar, and Cécile Van de Voorde. First night patrons may enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles in the company of the cast and crew. Le Dieu de Carnage Veronica et Michael Novak, parents du petit Henry, reçoivent chez eux Annette et Alan Raleigh, parents de Benjamin qui a frappé leur fils au visage dans un parc voisin, lui cassant ainsi deux dents. De bonne éducation, les deux couples ont décidé de cette entrevue afin de régler l'affaire avec civisme. Cependant, lorsque le vernis s’émaille et que la colère remplace la bienséance et la politesse de rigueur, chacun se montre en fin de compte très primaire. Dans leur florilège de pensées stéréotypées et sur fond de mauvaise foi parfois grossière, c’est un peu de nous que nous retrouvons dans ces bobos de Brooklyn… Pour interpréter ces duellistes, le metteur en scène, Charles Slovenski, a réuni une distribution exemplaire, chacun cherchant à creuser la singularité de son personnage dans cette comédie grinçante de Yasmina Reza (traduite par Christopher Hampton).

A reminder that "Les Hivernales", the rock and beat festival has begun and continues over the weekend in Nyon -see previous post here for more details and listen to an interview about the festival here Saturday March 2nd - Open Day at Lake Leman International School in Morges Open Day from 11:00 to 15:00 Meet the teachers and the LLIS management, discover the Primary and Secondary School and enjoy the day’s activities with your children. The open day starts at 11:00 at the school: From 11:00 to 12:00 Presentation of the website by the Secondary school students From 12:00 to 14:00 – Soccer practice From 13:30 to 14:15 - Story telling From 14:15 to 15:00 - Art workshop Snacks and drinks provided all day. LLIS School- Avenue de la Gottaz 34-36, 1110 Morges, Switzerland - See school website here Business and Professional Women Switzerland - Networking dinner Candlelight Ceremony & Networking dinner - Thursday, March 14 th 2013, at the Restaurant du Casino in Rolle This tradition is celebrated by all the BPW clubs around the world to remind them of the international solidarity and resources of the global association. It is an opportunity to discover what BPW has to offer. More details click here Host families required for "Up with People" March 18-25 Up with People is a global education and service programme focused on bringing the world together through service and music. The international cast of 120 students from 20 countries will be travelling to Geneva on March 18 for a one week stay. During their time in the area they will live with local host families, volunteer in the local community and perform 2 international shows at the Salle Communale de Versoix. Homes needed for 120 cast members Can you provide a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner and give limited transportation (outside of the centre of Geneva) in the mornings and evenings from March 18-25? If so, you’ll receive 2 complimentary tickets to the show for hosting. Photo above - the cast from a previous show - courtesy "Up with People" The 120-member cast is between the ages of 18 and 29 years old and represents 20 different countries. Cast members are out of the house during regular business hours, volunteering, rehearsing or taking part in educational workshops. Sunday March 24, is a ‘host family day,’ you may choose to show them , include them in a family event or simply relax at home. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Advance Team: Contact Katie Baudler at 079 155 37 13 or Katie.upwithpeople@gmail.com with questions or for more information. See the show ‘Voices’Salle Communale Lachenal à Versoix à 19:30 the 20th and 21st March. Tickets available now click here

We have been scouring other Swiss websites for a selection of news and articles that will interest Living in Nyon readers in our section called 1260+ (Nyon and beyond). Nyon News is at the end of this post Know it All Passport School holidays - Ûseful Dates - It's the school holidays in Geneva this week and the following two weeks will be holidays in Vaud. If you want to see a comprehensive calendar of all school holiday dates, check out the excellent "Holiday Calendar" on the Know it All Passport website. Click here Want to know what activities are on over the holiday period? Check out their activities calendar here. There are also some recommended Valentine Day choices in an article hereWorld Radio Switzerland - Interesting Radio Interviews Cold Spell - Interview Interview with meteorologist Lionel Fontannaz, from MeteoSwiss, about where this recent cold spell in Switzerland came from, and how long it will last (recorded Friday 8th February) Click here Kids in Mind - Programme Helping children deal with their worries - Click here Book about the Residents of Lausanne - Interview Interview with Laura Spinney, author of a book called Rue Centrale, which paints a portrait of Lausanne featuring interviews with 70 residents from all walks of life including bankers, prostitutes, train drivers, tango dancers, illegal immigrants an pillars of the community. Click hereDig it! - Gardening Programme - Click here Growing your own detox fruit, vegetable and herbs Lecture series in English at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Geneva Click hereGeneva Lunch Articles in English on Swiss Wines- Geneva Lunch Interested in knowing more about Swiss wines? The editor of Geneva Lunch has written many articles on Swiss wine under her blog called "Among the Vines" Click here Newly Swissed There's an amusing couples of posts on the website Newly Swissed - one called "A Lesson from Liechtenstein", and "33 more Signs that you are becoming Swiss" Swiss Info Article entitled "Swiss Roots - Home is where the Heart is"- Click hereNYON NEWS Paléo - New Stage - called "Les Arches" Read all about this new stage at Paléo, to be launched at the festival this year. The competition to name the new stage received over 8500 different suggestions! This new stage that will take the place of the Chapiteau. See diagrame below. Here are the results of the competition - 1. Scène des Arches: 2601 votes (36%), 2. Scène Woodstock : 2175 votes (30%), 3. Scène de la Dôle : 979 votes (14%), 4. Scène Bashung : 937 votes (13%), 5. Scène de l’Entrée : 488 votes (7%) More info on the Paléo website. Finally, don't forget the Living in Nyon column in English every Friday in La Côte newspaper. The paper for all your local news.