If you've got a bike then you'll need one of these. It's compulsory and its called a "vignette" An annual licence which you buy from the post office. There are bike trails in the area and there are maps you can buy with them all marked on. Parking The main parking in town is at Place Perdtemps. Drive in, collect your ticket and pay on your return. Parking is free for the first hour. If the Circus is in town then it takes up a lot of space in this car park! There are other parking areas scattered all over the town and near the lake. It can get very busy at the weekend, especially in the summer. Unusual fact. Did you know that if you park your car near long grass, sometimes a little animal (not unlike a small stoat) climbs into your bonnet, makes itself comfortable and then begins to eat the engine cooling pies. I kid you not. So, if you see the engine heating up over a period of time this might be the reason.. Your car insurance policy usually covers the repairs for this!

Yesterday the weather seemed to abandon festival-goers, as the sky was grey and it started raining in the evening. People looked slightly less high spirited - you can see a week of wild merry-making starting to exact its toll on some and the rain, falling quite heavily by now, seemed to dampen everybody's spirits. A damp start but the spirit of Paléo carried on  But the dampness and general drabness of it all didn't last for long and after all, Paléo without any rain isn't really Paléo as Rodrigo y Gabriela came jumping on to the main stage, putting smiles to people's faces and chasing the rain away. Accompanied by C.U.B.A, a Cuban ensemble, made of a drummer, a bass player, a pianist, a saxophonist and a trumpeter, they gave an explosive show. Although they have made themselves known for their guitar duo-with nobody else playing with them, the addition of other (very talented!) musicians was really welcome, as it let them revisit their music and offer the audience something more than what they were used to – which is really what concerts are really all about. If you wanted to listen to the same exact thing they did on their album, you might as well stay at home and listen to it in front of a photo of them! It's strange to think that these two met while playing trash metal; they have come quite a way from such music, developing a unique style of music, but the overflow of energy is still there. When the musicians left the stage, leaving Gabriela and her rhythm guitar alone in front of 35, 000 people, it didn't seem to be a problem, and listening to her, it was amazing to think she was alone on stage; the combination of strumming and drumming making it sound like there was a band and not just one person playing. Mind blowing solos from the bass player  They managed to find the right balance between playing with the band, with mind-blowing solos from the bass player and the pianist (not to mention the drummer!), but also playing alone, with the energy and skill that have become their trademark. They had the public clapping to the music, and although they weren't very talkative, they did stop to say how they were happy to be here and thank everyone. One last fun fact about the concert, that people paying attention might have noticed, was the recurring appearance of the same song- with which they started the concert- always in a different form, throughout the concert (I counted at least seven versions!). See video below taken from the Paléo festival blog site of both backstage and of the Rodrigo and Gabriela concert. Paleo 2012 - Concert frontstage avec Rodrigo y... par paleo The Paléo Installations You might have seen the installations above the Quartier des Alpes. Similar in a way to what the Cie Carabosse did for six consecutive years, this year Monic La Mouche has set up camp on the grounds. Big corrugated iron structures and rusty sculptures that look like they have come out of some old abandoned factory, illuminated from the inside, give a very poetic touch to the area. The slope is a favourite spot for a lot of people, and although yesterday's slightly damp weather wasn't the best day for that, there are always lots of people sitting down among the sculptures, having something to eat, chatting with some friends or listening to the concert on the main stage. Finally if you are interested in photography, you can go and see the work of Paléo photographer Pierre Descombes, who took the photos that you might have seen in the book issued for the festival's 35 th edition. They can been found in the Galerie , held by Paléo veterans, right next to the sunflower fields. His photos of the festival are amazing, and really worth checking out!   Note: Reviews of Lenny Kravitz and other Friday and Saturday night concerts on this site soon.

All Weather courts, Sunny restaurant, and Friendly members!  Living in Nyon last wrote an article about Nyon tennis club back in 2008 ! Much has changed in the club since then. The club has invested in four "all weather" courts enabling players to play tennis all year round, and the club now has a modernised kitchen for the club's restaurant. The outdoor terrace of this restaurant is one of the places in Nyon that catches the last rays of the sun in summer and the restaurant is also open seven days of the week to members of the public. You do not have to be a member to eat here. See restaurant opening times here The club itself now has a modernised online court reservation system for members and it is also popular with some of the "big named" stars in tennis, who use the courts if they are in the area. The club will be holding an Open Day on Sunday 17th April for anyone interested in checking out the facilities. On this day there will be a demonstration of elite junior tennis, children's tennis workshops, a tennis competition between the club's players, a sports clothes fashion show and the day will end with an apéro offered to all.  On the Open Day there will be a 50% reduction in the inscription charge for those who sign up on the day.  Details in poster below.

There's lots of music on the agenda in the upcoming weeks in the Nyon area. Let's hope the weather improves so we can enjoy all the concerts on offer! Sunday concerts by Roman Columns in Nyon Throughout the summer months there are Sunday concerts that take place from 11:00-13:30 by the Roman columns. Country, reggae and other music is on the line up this year. These free concerts are organised by the  Association Places des Maronniers.  There will be a buvette in place by the columns to purchase drinks and snacks.  This Sunday the 13th July, Geneva band (Reggae, Ska, Dub)  Rootstudy  will be playing to the public.  Learn to play an instrument  If you are interested in learning how to play a musical instrument, the Conservatoire de Nyon offers summer courses from the 16th to 22nd August in singing, playing the saxophone, piano, flute and other instruments and more.  See here  Music Events Rive Jazzy  Rive Jazzy is an annual fixture on the local calendar in which jazz music (traditional, modern, swing etc) is played outside (for free!) on Nyon's "terraces" every Friday and Saturday during the summer months (apart from during Paléo). This year, concerts run from the 4th July to the 16th August at the following venues: O' Les Terrasses, Place du Molard, Fontaine du Maitre Jaques and Place de Savoie (see the illustration below). Check the Rive Jazzy website for the  full programme. Paléo schedule is now out The full schedule for all Paléo concerts is now out. Plan your days and meetings around the bands you want to see!   See website here    Still looking for tickets?  Note:  the official Paléo ticket market closes this Sunday 13th July! See here Luna Classics - Nyon  This prestigious classical music arts and dance festival is coming to Nyon from the 19th to the 31st August with some stellar names on the line up from Nigel Kennedy to Yuja Wang  (see previous post with more info here ) Variations Musicales Tannay Just a little further along the road from Nyon in the pretty village of Tannay, "Variations Musicales"  will welcome various artists from the 24th to the 31st August.  See website here

Photos below from the world's first Fondue Festival which took place in Tartegnin last Saturday. The event was a great success and attracted thousands of visitors. You can read Living in Nyon's observations about the day in Thursday's (26th November) English column in La Côte newspaper. The Living in Nyon column is published every Thursday throughout the year. Pick up a copy in the news stands and check it out!  More local events and news coming up on this site shortly. Photo above: Left to right - Happy fondue festivalers, Willem and André Photos below: Scenes around Tartegnin Musicians from the Guggenmusik band that played at the fondue festival

On Saturday the 12th March from 11:00 - 13:00, there will be a free culinary tasting and demonstration  by  Manuella Magnin  the "culinary" journalist for L'Illustré  magazine. This will take place at Vom Fass, an oil, vinegar and spirit shop in the centre of Nyon. On Saturday, members of the public will be able to taste three different dishes created from  Vom Fass products and from the Les Delices de Manuella range. The tasting is free and a glass of wine will be offered at the demonstration.  A large range of oils for salads and culinary use. Gift vouchers for presents. Spirits sold in small bottles.  The Vom Fass shop itself has been open in Nyon for just a year and sells a large range of oils, vinegars and spirits. It is also known for its super friendly service from manager Marco Carichino!  Read on to discover more about the products on sale and the Vom Fass concept. The concept of the shop is very simple - customers can purchase any of the products by the bottle (starting at 100ml) by bringing their own bottle from home or they can buy one from the large range for sale in the shop itself. The bottle is then labelled and carefully wrapped with a handwritten description of the product on the side. Note - bottles of 100 ml can be wrapped to meet airline requirements, a perfect idea if you are short of inspiration of a gift to take to relatives or friends living in other countries! Try before you Buy The oils and vinegars on sale are made from natural ingredients, if you are unsure of the taste of a product, you are welcome to try it out before purchasing. The Vom Fass philosophy is "Regardez - Goûter - Appréciez!" In addition to culinary oils on sale (including oil of Argan, avocado, Nigelle, pistachio etc) there are also oils for "well-being".  Click here for the full range. Click here for the range of vinegars. There is an interesting range of whiskies from Scotland, Switzerland, India and Ireland including a 14 year old  Irish Single Malt called "Brothers in Arms" produced exclusively for Vom Fass. Gift Vouchers are available and the shop is open from Tuesdays to Saturday from until 18:30 "Non Stop" (open over the lunch time period!) Gift Vouchers Available A small selection of the bottles for sale in the shop The shop is in Rue St-Jean 15, not far from the Place Perdtemps car park

Living in Nyon has been skimming through the back copies of La Côte newspaper to catch up with the local news. Here is a small and eclectic selection of news items and information from the last few months. Don't forget, there is a Living in Nyon  English  column every Wednesday in La Côte newspaper. It can be found in the inside of the front page of the newspaper 20,000 residents In December 2014,  a small ceremony was held in Nyon to welcome its 20,000th resident. The ceremony, attended by Mayor Daniel Rossellat and Mr Claude Uldry, (municipal in charge of contrôle des habitants), welcomed Filipe Mathez, the 20,000 resident to the town. Nyon has seen a substantial growth in its population over the past few years. In 1989, there were just 13,306 residents and 15,000 in 1995. According to the local authorities, Nyon is expected to have 24,800 residents by 2020. Passenger Submarine under the Lake!  Did you know that at la grande Expo 64" (the 5th national exhibition in Switzerland in 1964), one of the main attractions of the exhibition was a massive mésoscaphe/ submarine ? This submarine took paying passengers and members of the public on trips under Lac Léman!  Sadly, this submarine is no longer operational, but you can discover more about it, see the publicity posters for these underwater trips, see the inside of a mésoscaphe and learn lots more about life on and in the lake itself at the museum.    See website here (info is in English)   Note -  there will be a presentation to the public on Monday 2nd March 2015  at 2015 to show the plans for the projected extension to this museum.  There has been some controversy over the design of this planned extension. Take a look at the designs entered into the competition here   and see the proposed winning design here. What do you think of this design? You can have your say at the presentation. First Class Carriages due on Nyon - St Cergue train line First class carriages are planned to be installed on the Nyon- St Cergue train line by December 2015. "Aunt Agatha" biscuits now made in Nyon!  "Tante Agathe" biscuits, the  Swiss biscuit company, celebrated its 60th anniversary last year and has now moved its production from Lonay to a factory on the route de Stand in Nyon. Info from other news sites - With the ski season well and truly upon us, Swiss Info (the international service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation) asks the question "Are Swiss Ski Slopes too fast?" See video here.   Go Junking/ Brocante hunting with Lisa! Are you a collector of brocante/ antiques and do you enjoy enjoy bargain hunting when looking for second hand items?  Looking to meet some new people? Then you might be interested in Lisa's "junking+ mornings and days out in Geneva.  See details here  The Nursery and Playroom at Geneva Airport The website called Lausanne Mom has recently updated one of its articles on the Nursery and Playroom at Geneva Airport. This is a useful article for parents who are travelling with young children and flying out of Geneva!

Would you like to practise French or English in an informal setting for free? Every Tuesday evening there is a language exchange café held at the Hotel de l'Ange (note - this was previously held at the Rive hotel, the venue has now changed - this article has been updated the 9th October 2016) The café evenings are is held on Tuesdays from 18:30 - 20:00. Full details on a Facebook page here  or here . This language café has been running since November 2014 and has proved to be very successful. Between ten and twenty participants attend every week and it’s free! The purpose of this English / French language exchange is for participants to help each other practise their target language. Living in Nyon went along to one of these language cafés and spoke to Maria Hooper, founder and organiser of this weekly Nyon event. Maria from the UK has been living and working in Nyon for four years. After initially attending a language exchange in Geneva, she then became inspired to set up one in the town of Nyon itself. Photo above: Maria Hooper - founder of the Nyon language exchange café Maria explains: “It can be difficult sometimes (particularly for expats) to find opportunities to speak and practise French, especially if they spend all day working in English in an international company and they travel a lot for work. The same applies to the Francophones who work in and speak French all day and who rarely get to speak English. So I set up this language café to help remedy this dilemma and to try and to help everyone’s integration a little. The Tuesday evening event has been running for 18 months now, we see new faces every week, but there is also a core group of regulars who have been here right from the start. Photo above: Left to right - Erin, Gwenaëlle and Lucy Gwenaëlle from France is one of the regular attendees and says: “This language café is such a good idea, those of us who have been coming from the beginning know each other quite well now, we have almost become like a family. Often many of us are here in Switzerland without a family so it’s great to meet a friendly face and practise our English at the same time. Yet we also really welcome newcomers, there are people from all over the world that have moved to this area, it’s a very international group". Lucy from the UK, another participant, agrees: “The beauty of these events is that you can come along when you can, you are not judged by how many times you turn up or on your level of language in the conversation, it’s a very open policy. The only stipulation is you are requested to purchase a drink of some kind as the event is held in a café/bar. If you really want to immerse yourself in French, Maria also organises a French immersion weekend once or twice a year for those interested. The café also continues throughout the entire year so we can keep up with our target language and not forget it over the summer months." Photo above: Left to right - Russell and Ricardo Russell Gasser, from the UK, lives just across the road from the language café  and says: “Many people find it such a friendly and effective way to improve their language skills that people in the group come from the whole Nyon region, and there are even participants travelling from France.” Photo above: Left to Right - Michael and Gill Michael Gentle from South Africa says: “What I really like about the language exchange is the chance to meet many different and interesting people. As a French-English bilingual I'm not there for the language but for the socialisation. And people feel freer to talk without being scared of making mistakes because everyone's on the same boat. I've made a number of good friends at the language café". Photo above: Gerry and Jaime at the "Advanced Speakers" table Gerry Moes from the Netherlands (who lived in the UK for more than 30 years before moving to Switzerland) says: “As a ‘trailing spouse’ this is a brilliant opportunity to hone my French - while retrieving it from the depth of my grey cells - in a very jovial, family like atmosphere with people of very different ages and backgrounds making the conversations most interesting at times. And if the opportunity arises I can also share my knowledge of English with those who want to practise that.” Maria explains how the language café works - English and in French Groups are divided according to the level (beginner/intermediate/advanced) of the language that they are learning, Beginners are more than welcome. You don't have to be a native speaker of either language to attend Groups of 3-5 are best to ensure everyone has the chance to speak Groups can choose whether to start in English or French Everyone should be encouraged to speak Correction of mistakes is essential Some participants bring magazines, notebooks, or other aids to improve learning If you are working on improving a particular issue e.g. pronunciation, it is best to make this clear to your group at the beginning The most important thing to remember is have fun! The group starts at 18:30. The evening is informal so if you plan to arrive later don't worry, just join a group or make a new group if needed. This is a great initiative by Maria. If you want to attend the language café you can contact her on nyonlanguageexchange@gmail.com French below --------- Cette activité a lieu chaque mardi à 18h30. L’objectif de l’échange linguistique Français/Anglais est de s’aider les uns les autres à pratiquer sa langue cible. Cette activité se déroule selon les principes suivants : - Les groupes sont constitués en fonction du niveau de la langue d’apprentissage (débutant / intermédiaire / avancé). Les débutants sont plus que bienvenus * ! - Il n’est pas nécessaire d’avoir l’anglais ou le français comme langue maternelle pour y participer. - Les groupes font 3 à 5 personnes pour que chacun ait l’opportunité de parler. - Les groupes peuvent démarrer en anglais ou en français. - Chacun devrait être encouragé à s’exprimer. - La correction d'erreurs est essentielle. - Certains participants apportent des magazines, cahiers ou d'autres supports pour améliorer leur apprentissage. - Si quelqu’un veut améliorer un aspect en particulier, par exemple la prononciation, il faut le préciser au groupe du début. - La chose la plus importante est de s’amuser ! * Pour les débutants : il faut apporter un «elevator pitch» écrit afin de discuter avec le groupe. Nous commençons à 18h30. La soirée est informelle, alors si vous arrivez tard, ne vous inquiétez pas ! Il faut seulement rejoindre un groupe ou en créer un nouveau ! Merci par avance de prévoir un peu de monnaie pour régler les boissons à la fin de la soirée. nyonlanguageexchange@gmail.com More photos below Photo above: Isa from Italy Photo above Allison Photo above: Inna and Yulya

Tuesday evening in Nyon saw the official launch of  the book  "Living along Lac Léman". Thankyou so much to all those who came to the Villa Thomas at the COV for the vernissage/launch. Photos above. Happy book fans! The venue in the stunning lake side setting made it the perfect place to launch the book. It also gave readers of this site,  La Côte newspaper, and other members of the public a chance to mingle and enjoy a glass of local Swiss wine, along with tasting some British cheeese from the British Cheese Centre of Switzerland.  Photo above: the Villa Thomas along the lake side. Note - there will be a jazz concert at the Villa Thomas on Friday 7th Oct see COV for here for full details There were also representatives at the event from the various local festivals (Paléo, Caribana, Visions du Réel etc),  from Nyon town council and Nyon tourism giving those there the opportunity to find out more about the three festivals and local issues. Photo above - Checking out the book at the vernissage About the book -  The perfect company gift, birthday or Christmas present. Packed with columns articles and photos the book is  is a light hearted look at life along the shores of lake Geneva and contains a selection of columns which have been published for the last two years in English every Friday in La Côte newspaper.  This weekly column is a conversation is about the people, places and events in Vaud as seen through the eyes of a British expatriate. Photo above: left C. Nelson-Pollard author of "Living along Lac Léman", right Contessa Pinon - editor of La Côte newspaper With observations on unusual Swiss customs and on the peculiarities to be found in both the French and English languages, it also comments on other subjects such as the jargon that estate agents use when advertising houses for sale, the difficulties of making a fondue, or trying to say a telephone number in French. Image above - article from book called  "Figuring it out" With other articles on local festivals, the Désalpe and more, and packed with photos that capture the colour and essence of the Léman region, the book makes a perfect gift for someone who has just moved to the area. It  will also delight those who have lived here for a while, whether expat of Swiss, in recognising  the slightly side quirky side of Swiss life whilst acknowledging the beauty of the Léman area. Image below - Article from book called "A saisir!" (on estate agents' jargon) At just 29 CHF, the book is available to order through this site, just click on "Living in Nyon" book on the top side bar to order.   Free delivery in the Nyon, Coppet, Rolle and Prangins area.   From  Tuesday 11th October, the book will also be for sale at Nyon tourist office  Opening hours  Monday-Friday 08:30 -12:30/ 13:30 -17:30 Special book signing - The author will be signing copies of the book at Nyon tourist office on Friday November 4th from 16:00- 18:00.   An ideal opportunity to pick up a copy and find out about events and winter activities happening in the Nyon and St Cergue region. Photo above and below - Selling the books left to right. Anna Hiller Bedlington, Suzy Nelson-Pollard, Nicola Bedlington. All photos of the vernissage -  Catherine Lewis photography see site here

Photo above CNP : Painted eggs by Suzi Haidinger on sale at last Sunday's Easter market in Nyon. La Roulotte, the temporary café situated just behind Nyon railway station, is now open!  This café that is run out of an old railway carriage, is an informal and friendly place to have breakfast, lunch or an afterwork  drink.  At the moment the café is offering a menu for students - a meal and a soft drink for 10 CHF!  This year like last, there will be a series of events organised on site to entertain customers, from readings to musical and drama performances (last year there was a flamenco dancer to entertain the crowd!)  La Roulotte now has a website. Check it out to find out more about them and read what's on the menu! La Roulotte is open (weather permitting!)  Monday to Thursday 07:00 -21:00 Friday 07:00 -22:00 Saturday 09:00 -22:00 and Sunday 10:00- 20:00  Note: For busy parents that want to sit down for a break, there are toys at La Roulotte too!

Thankyou to all those who came along to the tourist office in Nyon on Friday and to the Living in Nyon stand at the Léman Expat Fair in Lausanne yesterday, it was great to see you all and answer your questions about living in the Nyon region.  Watch this space for a Living in Nyon "drinks evening" coming up in December. Events happening Monday and Tuesday this week A reminder that tonight the 7th November, the Swiss Film “ Nel Giardino dei Suoni” will be shown in Nyon at 20.15 in the presence of the film maker. This film being shown in collaboration with Visions du Réel  and the Cinéma Capitale. It has  been described as a “magnificent film” by Bernard Koellish of  “Box Office”. Also a reminder that a "View from a Bridge"  by Arthur Miller performed by the Geneva English Drama Society, begins tomorrow night the 8th November in Coppet.  There are still tickets available for every night's performance, the play runs until the 12th November.   See  previous post here for details of  the venue and the play. Booking details here

Details of the new half-marathon on September 14th that will run along the lake side from Aubonne to Nyon have been revealed and registration is now open. This 21 k "Semi de la Côte" race is organised by Swiss Olympic athlete Lea Sprunger who lives in Gingins ( see our interview with her here ) Full details of the race click here