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

After two days of very hot weather, Thursday was a bit cooler, and rain threatened during the evening. But the combined efforts of the bands playing that night and the enthusiastic crowd kept the worst at bay, and after a bit of rain in the early evening, the sun came back out to shine on the 45000 heads gathered at l'Asse. The weather made it a lot more bearable, the rain stopping the dust from rising up in the air. A long way from Wednesday's heavy metal, Thursday was definitely calmer, the evening kicking off with two reggae concerts. A regular at Paléo, Tiken Jah Fakoly played his politically charged albeit slightly repetitive music to a good crowd in front of the main stage. Clad in his traditional garb and sporting a long staff, he sang of peace, love and the colonial ravages of Africa. He finished off with a slightly cliché cover of Bob Marley's " Get up Stand up ". Photos above - C. Nelson-Pollard The highlight of the evening was Sharon Shannon 's amazing accordion skills. I grew up listening to her music, so when she was announced at Paléo, I was really excited! The result was an evening where reality exceeded my expectations! Although her actual concert was later on under the Dôme, she was scheduled to play a more intimate set on the small stage of the “Tour Vagabonde”, the replica of the Globe theatre set up in the middle of the Village du Monde. It is not only a good place to get a beer and escape from the sun (or the rain, depending), but also hosts small 20 minute sets of bands playing during the evening at the Dôme. (Find the program here )It's a perfect way to rediscover a band in a more intimate setting, or to get a second chance to see a band you missed because you were eating a waffle on the other side of the festival, or trying to watch three other concerts at the same time! Sharon Shannon was absolutely amazing, and came on stage with the widest smile ever, greeting everyone in her fast and high-pitched Irish accent. Enchanting the crowd gathered in front of the stage and at the railing in the galleries with her agile accordion skills, she kept smiling in the most amazing way to every body. In this magical wooden setting, she looked elf-like with her wide grin and white dress. She seemed absolutely delighted by the venue, and would obviously have kept playing for more than twenty minutes, if she'd been allowed to. Short video below. Bursting with joy and wonder She was on stage later on with a whole band, and it was hard to decide who was having the most fun, the crowd dancing to her enchanting reels or her watching the crowd and obviously loving every moment of it. Someone had brought along a large number of coloured balloons and the kept bouncing up over the crowd. It made for a very nice scene, but was slightly more annoying when quite a few of them started bursting with quite a loud bang! Her only reaction to that, was a genial “oh, those balloons sound quite like fireworks don't they?”. “It's been great playing at this amazing festival! I've never seen anything like it before!” she exclaimed towards the end of the concert, before adding “its been great, yuhoo!” Her presence and boundless enthusiasm were very refreshing. Such a generous person, she seemed to have the utmost pleasure being here, and kept clapping along and making huge grins and thumbs up during the great solo by the guitar/keyboard player, getting her kicks from the reaction of the crowd to some parts of the solo. A heart-warming concert that did a lot of good to everyone's ears and soul. Dancing at a 40 person party during Massive Attack Ditching the massive crowd ready to listen to Massive Attack , the band who created trip-hop, I ended up at la Ruche where Vladimir Spoutnik was playing. This wacky DJ played some great and slightly cheesy music to dance to, halfway between a DJ set and a theatre show, often coming out into the crowd to make people dance, while his very serious security man tried to keep a straight face on the side of the stage, even when showered with confetti. Wearing a shirt several sizes too short and hair plastered back on his head, with a smoke machine decorated like a rocket and “A trip to the moon” by George Melies projected on a screen behind him, Vladimir Spoutnik created an engaging and rustic atmosphere. Kids and adults of all ages enjoyed his show, and the intimate and magic setting of the Ruche, while 40000 people were dancing to Massive Attack in front of the main stage. It's part of the magic of Paléo to create the possibility to go from one to another so easily, giving everyone what they're looking for. Vladimir Spoutnik performs every night at the Ruche, mostly during the last concert on the main stage.

The MANHATTAN SHORT film festival will be in Nyon's own cinema on Thursday October 4th at 20:30. Ten films will be shown in their original version with English subtitles and after the screening, members of the audience will get to vote on which  film they think is the best. Each  film is around 10-15 minutes long.  Over  100,000 people in over 300 cities will also be viewing and voting on the finalists films this same week. The  mission is to unite audiences across the globe for one week via the most compelling short films submitted each year . There are films from the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, the USA, Spain, Peru, Russia, Romania.  See site here to see the films that will be shown on Thursday.

Caribana, the first of the summer music festivals in the Nyon area begins tonight down on the lakeside in Crans sur Nyon. At the moment of going to press there were still tickets for sale for all five nights. The weather forecast is set to improve just a little this afternoon, but best take rain gear and wrap up well. There is always a good atmosphere down at this festival that it probably won't dampen any spirits!  You can read a little bit about the history of Caribana here . See all previous posts and photos (going back to 2008!) about Caribana here on Living in Nyon, or just click  on "Film and Music Festivals" in top side bar. The line up for this year is Wednesday -Texas, Marc Sway, Justin Nozuka, Kirsty and Lizzie. Photo above, Texas - courtesy Caribana festival Thursday - The Hurts, Interpol, Wolfmother, Plain White TS, Azazellbues Earthworms, MistyMiller. Friday  - Morcheeba, Plan B, OMD, Guess What, Solange la Frange, Guilluame Grand, Ndidi O.   Photo above, Solange  la Frange - courtesy Caribana festival Saturday - Abd Al Malik , Julian Marley, Kool and the Gang, I blame Coco, Medi St André, Ben Howard, Jaïlyna. Sunday - Caribakids, a day for families and children with music and entertainment. For more details of the festival, parking, map, free public transport options, timings of concerts etc see site

Then you might like to know about two groups of English speaking mothers in the Nyon area. The first is a group of mothers who met for the first time last week through this site Living in Nyon. They linked up through the Mamicafé link (see right hand side of this site) and then in person when one of the mums kindly hosted a coffee morning for everyone.. That morning there were quite a few mums who are new arrivals to Switzerland so it was a great opportunity for everyone to ask questions about living here. If you have just arrived in the area and are a mum or even if you have been her a while then check out Mami Café and join up, it's free! Members can post questions on the discussion board too. The other group of Mums is a group called "Mums in Vaud", they have a site with an active membership and they meet up from time to time..  Here is the link The founder of the group Michelle Eriksson (in photo to left) has kindly agreed to answer any questions about child related issues for Living in Nyon on the Mamicafé site and via email. She and another mum, a Living in Nyon reader will also be writing the occasional article with useful information on child related issues, playgroups, places to take children etc. More on this in a couple of weeks.

Reminder about Paleo and Film Review - "Buran" -  Haphazard clothes company, haphazard filming There are three more days of the  Visions du Réel  festival and plenty more films to see on the agenda. This year, the area (photo below) near the Salle Communale has a large covered bar/restaurant area which makes for a convivial meeting place to have a drink, eat and chat about films. This area is open to the public. Paléo  tickets - A reminder to readers that  Paléo  tickets go on sale at 12:00 on Wednesday 24th April! They usually sell out very fast everyyear, so get in-line or online early to get your tickets! Below is another  review of a film from the festival. Unfortunately, the film reviewed here "Buran" which was filmed in South Korea proved to be a disappointment for the Living in Nyon editor, however as this film will be shown again on Wednesday 24th April, readers still have the opportunity to watch it and judge it for themselves. Note: A film that may be of interest to  British readers also to be screened on Wednesday 24th at 10:00 at the Capitole  2 cinema  is "Start from Zero". A journey through different strata of Hong Kong's memory, this filmed essay explores a generation's childhood recollections during the last decade of British rule.  It uses images from the archives of the time - visits from the Queen, television programmes etc- "Buran" (Anxiety) by Hwanki Min Wednesday 24th April Capitole 1 10:15 The description of this film looked promising -  "Young designers leave their job to start an alternative fashion house, in the hope of creating an ethical label. Rather than adopting common practices geared at ruthful exploitation and profits, they hope to build a direct relationship with their customers based on fair trade principles". Photo above - "Buran" courtesy Visions du Réel Although this film began with an interesting start in which we saw the CEO of the newly founded ethical company pitching the company's T shirts (their material made out  of  recycled plastic bottles) to potential buyers,  followed by scenes which introduced the different characters working in the company: the designer, the accountant, the operations manager, sadly it didn't really move on from there.   Within the company itself there were many, arguments among staff themselves, arguments among the managers, long discussions on the companies mission, there were delays, there were frustrations of trying to sell products without ditching their ideals, but there were too many of these scenes, too many shots of staff sat around talking, smoking or drinking.  There were some interesting snapshots of South Korean life, as the film maker shot the scenes over a year of the staff going about their business in snow and rain, late at night  and socialising in bars around the city. Sadly these scenes were not interesting enough to hold the attention for  the 92 mins.  The company itself seemed haphazardly run, not unlike the documentary itself  and there were a few restless souls in the audience who were anxious for "Anxiety" to finish. Haphazard filming with heavy editing required

There are four pairs of tickets to be won for the screening (in English, subtitles in French) of Bridget Jones's Baby on Monday 3rd October at the Capitole Cinema Nyon at 20:30. To be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets, email  info@capitole-nyon.ch  stating Bridget Jones - Competition in the email header, and include your name and email. You will be contacted by the cinema if you have won tickets.

Tucked away in the side streets and hidden corners of Nyon, there are lots of small businesses that newcomers to the town may not be aware of. One of these businesses is the art gallery  "Espace Murandaz".  Previous exhibitions at the gallery have included the works of Laura Chaplin (grand daughter of Charlie Chaplin),   Pierre Montillo Ulie Schwab and sculptor Tauno Kangro . The current exhibition features the work of artist José Roosevelt  and runs until the 14th November. The gallery can be found very near La Combe shopping centre at Chemin du Midi 8 (this is the side street to the left of the shopping centre) and it is open on Tuesday to Friday from 14:45 to 18:00 and on Saturday from 14:00 to 17:00. This gallery is light and spacious both for visitors and for artists interested in displaying their work and holding exhibitions. Espace Murandaz Art Supplies and Art Classes If you are an artist and looking to stock up on art supplies, the Aux Beaux Arts shop in Avenue Viollier 15 in Nyon (very close to the railway station and near to the new Base Nyon hotel), stocks a large range of artists' material from pastels to oils, canvasses, brushes and pencils. Owner and professional artist Eric Baghatchadjian also teaches art throughout the year in a series of weekly courses. Classes are held in a studio situated right next to the art shop. These reasonably priced courses include: beginners sketching, pastels, watercolour, acrylics and manga. All ages are welcome. Eric speaks fluent English. For further info - email info@peacockstudio.ch Photo above - Artist Eric Baghatchadjian teaching a pastels art class Yoga Moves Nyon   A Yoga Studio for all ages Another business also in the centre of the town, is Yoga Moves Nyon . This studio can be found in Rue du Marché 10 (just opposite the restaurant Café du Marché ) This spacious yoga studio is open to children, teens, adults and seniors. Their certified (and enthusiastic!) teachers offer a wide variety of classes including Power Yoga Vinyasa classes, Prenatal classes, detoxing in a Warm Yoga class and many others. You can read all the biographies (in English) of the teachers, their background and their professional experience on the website. Click here for more info.