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The 52nd edition of the Tulip Festival in Morges is back for 2022 and this year's theme is Numbers and Letters.  Enjoy the colourful displays up until the 8th May. The Association Morges Fleur du Léman organise the Tulip Festival and Dahlia Festival every year. Thousands of stunning flowers including daffodils, narcissi and irises are planted in the Parc de l'Indépendance and around the old town. Free of charge and accessible to all, the festival is a beautiful part of the Spring season in the region. This year a sound and light show has been created for the Tulip Festival by artist Albin Christen. It will be projected onto the walls of Morges castle. It runs from 23rd March until 18th April and there will be two performances each evening from Wednesday to Saturday, as well as Easter Sunday and Monday. 23th - 26th March: 20H & 20H45 30th March - 09 April: 20H45 & 20H30 13th - 18th April: 21H & 21H45 There are plenty of events and activities happening throughout the Festival including guided tours organised by Morges Région Tourisme . There will also be workshops, live music, Sunday brunch and much more! Check out the full program here. This video highlights last year's 2021 Tulip Festival by Morges Région Tourism.

Our weekly feature where you can find out about upcoming events and any latest news in Nyon and the surrounding area. Next in Nyon brings you ideas of things to do for the weeks ahead.The 52nd edition of the Tulip Festival in Morges  This year's theme is Numbers and Letters. This year a sound and light show has been created by artist Albin Christen and there will be workshops, live music, Sunday brunch and much more! Enjoy the colourful displays up until the 8th May. For more information on the Festival click here . Click here for our previous article on the Tulip Festival. The 5th Edition of the Weekend Tales at the Château de Nyon This year, the Château de Nyon festival takes you to the origins of life at the sources of our imagination, in the deep nature of tales . It includes a  fox, a wolf, water, an island, the sun, the moon, a chaperone without cape or cake, and mysterious little lights that illuminate the garden. Taking place Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th March. For more information and to book your sessions click here. The 39th edition of the Cully Jazz Festival - 1st-9th April 2022 The Cully Festival OFF will be holding around a hundred free concerts that will be held in thirteen venues located in the heart of the village of Cully. There will be collaborations and creations especially designed for the occasion as well as an outdoor stage by the lake. Click here for more information, the full line-up and tickets for the Cully Festival IN. La Manivelle - Nyon's 'Library of Things' Spring Harvest La Manivelle are opening up their doors next Saturday 2nd April to collect any items for their Library. If you are unable to do a drop off they are also offering a pick-up service which you can organise here. Marché de Puces - Sunday 27th March It's that time again, the last Sunday of the month and Nyon´s Flea Market will be down by the lake. A great day out where you can find anything from a saxophone to some cool retro-furniture.

Our weekly feature where you can find out about upcoming events and any latest news in Nyon and the surrounding area. Next in Nyon brings you ideas of things to do for the weeks ahead. Easter Market 2- 3rd April The Marché de Pâques is this weekend down by the lake. There will be arts and crafts, local products, workshops for children and all things Easter! Check out full the program here Nyon Region Skateboard Association The NRSA are offering skateboard lessons Saturday mornings between 19th March to 25th June at the Colovray skate park in Nyon as well as in Gland and Mies. For more information and to register click here Spring Workshops at Schilliger Schilliger Garden Centre are offering fun and educational workshops for children every Wednesday and special Sundays openings from 3rd April (*not 17th) until 6th June. For their full calendar click here Nyon Guided Tour 4th April - 2000 years of History Learn more about Nyon and the Roman and Bernese influence with this 90 minute guided walking tour. Explore either the upper part of town or down by the lakeside. To reserve your places and for more information click here The 52nd edition of the Tulip Festival in Morges  This year's theme is Numbers and Letters. This year a sound and light show has been created by artist Albin Christen and there will be workshops, live music, Sunday brunch and much more! Enjoy the colourful displays up until the 8th May. For more information on the Festival click here . Click here for our previous article on the Tulip Festival. La Manivelle - Nyon's 'Library of Things' Spring Harvest La Manivelle are opening up their doors Saturday 2nd April between 10h and 14h to collect any items for their Library. Check out their catalogue here and click here for more information.

Our weekly feature where you can find out about upcoming events and any latest news in Nyon and the surrounding area. Next in Nyon brings you ideas of things to do for the weeks ahead.PâKOMUZé - 15th April - 1st May Keep busy this Easter with more than 100 activities for children and their families, for all tastes and all ages, in forty museums and cultural institutions in Vaud during the Easter school holidays. Click here for the full list. Visions du Réel - International Film Festival Nyon Making documentary film-making accessible to all . The film festival starts on Thursday 7th April running until the 17th in venues all over Nyon. Discover the full programme here . Château de Prangins Guided Tour - The Kitchen Garden Exhibition Protection and Prevention for your Plants - What to grow right now in your vegetable garden? Hester Macdonald, our cultural mediator, will give you some ideas and tips in English on Protection and Prevention for your Plants, how to spot pests and diseases and how to treat them. This Sunday 10th April 11:00 – 12:00. Tickets are 10CHF Book your tickets here and click here for more information on the permanent open air exhibition.

Living in Nyon, in collaboration with International Link bring you a highly interactive and dynamic networking workshop How to Network Effectively . Brush up on your networking skills and have a great time doing it! Did you know that... Approximately 70% of jobs are filled through network connections. Studies show the most connected people are often the most successful. A targeted and efficient networking strategy can help you manage your career successfully. International Link is an initiative of the Chambre Vaudoise du Commerce which aims to federate, represent and support  international entities of the canton of Vaud by: Promoting the excellence of the canton generated and shared by companies, organisations and universities. Helping create a common strategy and convey a positive image. Facilitating the integration into the local economy. Providing a platform for sharing experiences and best practices. In this presentation by  Mandy Bronsil , Founder of  B-inspired Partners and Living in Nyon Editor, you will learn: How to adapt your strategy according to your personality and feel confident. How to identify relevant existing networks correctly and use your time efficiently. What qualities to use to leverage and make yourself memorable. Event Details Thursday 5th May 2022 16:00 - 18:00 Presentation followed by an Apéro Hotel Real Nyon  - Place de Savoie 1, 1260 Nyon Click here to register for this upcoming event for free using the code LINRELOC. We look forward to seeing you there!

The semi-finals and final of the UEFA Youth League 2022 will be held at Colovray Sports Centre in Nyon on Friday 22nd April and Monday 25th April. The Youth League was started in 2013 and is a tournament dedicated to the Under-19 teams from the season's Champions League clubs - pitching the best youth talent from across Europe against each other.  The winning team are awarded the Lennart Johansson trophy which is named after the former UEFA honorary president and past winners have been Barcelona, Chelsea and most recently Real Madrid in 2020.   The final of the Youth League is always a fun weekend with a good atmosphere at the stadium at Colovray. It's a great community day out with fun activities including darts football, freestyle football, competitions and games and lots more! UEFA’s head office moved from Berne to Nyon in 1995 and then moved to their purpose-built lakeside offices in 1999. UEFA took over the management of the Colovray Sports Centre in 2010. The Stadium at Colovray is home to FC Stade Nyonnais who are in the Promotion League - the third tier of the Swiss Football League. It opened in 1991 and has a capacity of 4,000 with 800 seats. There are six football pitches both grass and synthetic as well as an athletics track, rugby field and its own Pizzeria - Restaurant de Colovray, with a summer terrace overlooking the grounds. The finals of the Youth League will be played as follows: Semi-finals 22nd April Juventus vs Benfica  14:00H Atlético vs Salzburg 18:00H Final 25th April Atlético/Salzburg vs Juventus/Benfica  18:00H For more information on the finals click here. Tickets are 10CHF and free for children under 10. Ticket proceeds will be distributed to a charity organisation supporting young children. You can purchase tickets here or alternatively head down to Colovray Sports Centre where you can buy directly from the Box Office. Opening hours: 19th - 21st April 12:30h - 19:00h. Good Luck to all the Youth League Teams in the Semi Finals and the Final!

In 2006, Oak Hill based in Nyon, opened its doors to students in the Geneva and Vaud region. Using an evidence-based programme to assist individuals with reading, writing, maths and/or dyslexia, ADHD; they have successfully served the community for 15 years and are celebrating this special anniversary in 2022! Oak Hill’s Head Teacher, Patricia Spencer, is very happy to share this occasion with the community. “We are delighted to have reached our 15th year serving children who learn differently! 2022 marks a special milestone for us and we look forward to supporting those with dyslexia and ADHD for many years to come. Happy birthday Oak Hill”. Let’s take a deeper look into their methodology to see how they support those who learn differently. Their Mission Oak Hill’s main aim is to help students reach their true potential. Through understanding, appropriate instruction and determination, they work to transform students into confident, resilient, and independent learners. As a not-for-profit programme, Oak Hill provides individualised learning instruction for students between 7 and 14 years of age. Their unique half-day programme is taught in English, providing students with three 50-minute lessons in reading, writing and mathematics.   The Unique Oak Hill Methodology Using multi-sensory methods based on the work of Dr Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham , lessons are systematic, explicit, and structured – providing students with frequent opportunities to review work, ask questions and ‘overlearn’ content. As the only European replication of the Hill Learning Center programme in North Carolina, Oak Hill uses evidence-based materials to best support students who learn differently. The methodology is unique, as it is individualised and ensures that students develop confidence in their abilities, whilst they gradually progress to more complex material. What Sets Oak Hill’s Programme Apart? The short answer is – it works! With four students to one teacher, the child’s well-being and development is the central focus of each lesson. Classes are also multi-sensory and individually differentiated – in addition, fast paced lessons ensure no time is wasted! In reading, writing and maths each lesson covers the following components each and every day – nothing gets in the way of learning at Oak Hill! Reading – oral skills, phonological awareness, decoding practice, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development. Writing – spoken language skills, oral/written spelling, handwriting, copying/dictation and writing composition skills across different genres. Maths – oral articulation/recall of ideas, place value, multiplication/division fluency, problem solving and computation skills. In addition, Oak Hill also works to develop each students’ executive functioning and social skills. For example, by working on topics such as study skills (homework), building resilience, making friends, giving and receiving feedback, developing self-esteem and confidence.   Working With Schools In The Region Oak Hill is proud to work with all Anglophone and Bilingual International Schools in the Lac Léman region – they are always ready to support students who need their expertise! Across the years, they have supported some home-schooled students, as well over 120 students from a range of schools, including: British School of Geneva Collège du Léman Ecolint (La Châtaigneraie, Campus des Nations, La Grande Boissière) Geneva English School Haut Lac International School of Lausanne Institut International de Lancy La Côte International School La Découverte Mosaic Ecole Moser   Inquiries Oak Hill’s highly qualified team have the specialist knowledge and skills required to transform the lives of their students, so why not come along and meet the team at one of their Open Mornings. Register  here and watch this video for an inside look at the important work they do. you would like to join an upcoming Oak Hill event or learn more about their programme please click here . Feel free to follow them on social media;  Instagram , Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn for regular updates on Open Mornings, seminars and workshops. Finally, a little bit of fun: One of their Oak Hill alumni students created this intricate and creative artwork to help celebrate their special anniversary. See if you can you find the following 15 words or items : dyslexia, ADHD, Oak Hill, comprehension, Sumdog, Mr W, Mrs Spencer, Ms Fogarty, Jo, multiplication, library, digital time, a ruler, Sumdog and a smiley emoji.

Living in Nyon met up with Nyon based YouTuber and sex education expert, Kathleen Hema. Kathleen helps parents have the modern day sex talks in a medically accurate and age-appropriate way. Her videos cover a range of subjects from What's the perfect age to have the sex talks? to Accepting the Gender Spectrum. Read our interview from our coffee at Tête de Course as we get to know Kathleen. She went from teaching in schools to starting her YouTube Channel It's time for the Sex Talk for Parents. We talk about her recently launched website and future plans. She also gives us some insights into the importance of talking to our children about sex. How did your YouTube journey begin? This all started as my daughter turned two and I wanted to start working again, but then the pandemic hit. I had an interview lined up which was then cancelled because of a freeze on all hires. I had been thinking about it for a while and one day, I sat on the couch and told my husband I’m going to start a YouTube channel! I felt that YouTube was the right platform to reach parents because it's easily accessible and free! How did you come to live in Nyon? My partner got a job offer at UEFA, I was pregnant and it was a job that would allow me to stay at home with my baby and daughter. Nyon is such a family-friendly town and the community is awesome. It’s nice to be outside the big cities of Geneva and Lausanne. You can go to those places but you can always come back to the quaintness of Nyon, which has everything: the lake, the concerts, mountains to go skiing. It’s been a nice transition at this stage in our life. Since starting, what have you learnt about making videos and the type of content you put out. Has it changed since you began? Great question - before I got my masters in public health and focused on sex education, I did my bachelors in communications. I was in editing and video production and now I find I am using my skills from then! It’s changed in the sense of becoming more comfortable talking to a camera versus talking to a room full of people. I can be more myself and my personality comes through. I have over 100 videos now, but in that first year of making videos not many algorithms push you out to the top of searches. You’re so new but you have to start somewhere. At the same time I want to make the videos better; better lighting, better camera, just better... Right now I’m trying to make it relatable - It's just a mom talking to another parent over coffee, having a conversation about erections, right?   How have you found the shift from educating children and young adults in schools to now focusing on parents? The biggest change I see is that the parents are afraid to do or say the wrong thing, or mess up their kid. Parents know they need to have the conversations, but when, what, and how to say it perfectly? Whereas kids in the classroom were more I’m going to ask you every, single question possible because I’m not getting this information anywhere. Or they’ve heard things and they want to know if it's true. In my videos you will hear me say you can say something to the effect of…  because I think parents want that type of advice. A lot of parenting books and organisations say start talking about sex early, make sure you’re doing all this stuff, but they never tell parents what to say. I can make that bridge for them and say hey, here’s how you can bring it up over the course of five to six years . And after laying all the groundwork for the sex talks it will hopefully, make the talks go smoother in the pre-teen and teen years. What’s the best feedback you have received since starting 'It’s time for the Sex Talk with Parents'. I’ve had a lot of parents send me a message saying that they feel so much more confident or what I said in my video of how the kids will react is exactly how their kid reacted. The best feedback that I’ve gotten has been, once I watched your video, got over the hump and did it, it went just like you said. It wasn’t a big firework celebration, it was a simple conversation that happened and was really good. I think when parenting, our values are so important - only we can share our values to our kids. As a teacher I can never share mine. If a kid was to ask me what’s the right age to have sex? I can tell them the legal age, all the things that they need to be aware of, how to prepare and to deal with the consequences. But as a parent I can also tell you my values, whether it’s about marriage or relationships. If parents can embrace that, it would be very beneficial. I have to then ask, how do you deal with any negative comments or feedback and not take it personally? Before branching out into TikTok and Instagram and putting myself out there, I remember a mum saying to me I saw your YouTube video, you know you left the comments open? . Well I did that on purpose because I do want that feedback. You’re always going to have trolls that are mean. I’ve had people say - you’re ruining childhood, you don’t know what you’re talking about, this is way too early, and so on . In the end, the research supports early sex education and kids will continue to be curious and ask questions. My aim is to help the parents who want to have these conversations. Blocking is my best friend, especially when it comes to receiving rude comments or images that are negative on my character, not on my content. What would be your one golden nugget of advice to parents of young children who want to open up that dialogue? Start now! No matter what age your kid is start now and watch my videos, which are categorised by age.  When I was teaching in schools, we were told when we were allowed to talk about subjects. As a parent, you know your kid best. A lot of times parents think their kid not asking questions means they don’t have to have the conversation, but that’s not quite right. The problem is, you may have said something to dismiss them before they were able to lead into a question. If you get to a point when your child is exiting an age range and they haven’t asked some of those common questions, you need to go to them and could say, Hey, lets talk about … or  I got this cool book, do you want to read it with me? Start now and if they’re not coming to you, go to them. You recently launched a website, tell us more about your future plans.  Launching a website is a lot of work! Right now my intent is to have all my free resources on YouTube and TikTok but I want to be able to offer parents one-on-one consultations. I’ve had a lot of parents reach out to me and say, well my kid is autistic and I know you don’t have a lot of information about that . My channel provides general education on a wide variety of topics but if you are looking for personalised advice, you can book a call with me on my website. My focus this year is to help parents and to offer confidential consultations. Then let's see where that goes. Now that’s the more serious questions done, I want to ask you what you do for fun? Any favourite places to go? Well, I do a tour of all the playgrounds in Nyon with my kids! We often start at the Lac Leman park and end up at the plage where my husband and I can grab a glass of wine or something while the kids play. This was also the first winter that we all got to ski as a family, and we had a lot of fun up at Basse Ruche . Favourite place to get food or coffee in Nyon?  I do love Tête de Course  but I LOVE Café Ex- Machina . The owner is so lovely and when I first moved here with my craziness of a toddler and a baby, he was always so kind and let the kids be. That was very helpful in that stage of my life. I love Luiga . Also the bubble tea place Bobaddict , they do waffles, my favourite! What's your favourite season here? This is my favourite time of year - the spring. I love seeing the greenery, designs and the colourful tulips. I never thought of myself as a woman who enjoys flowers! I also love walking along the lake but especially in the garden area by the ruins. It’s gorgeous. I absolutely love the Christmas market in Nyon - being able to walk out my door and get a vin chaud and wander around. Thank you Kathleen for letting us get to know you better! Visit Kathleen's website Kathleen Hema,  subscribe to her YouTube channel or follow her on Instagram . If you're looking for more personal advice, book a one-on-one consultation with her here.

The 30th edition of the Caribana Festival in Nyon kicks off this Wednesday 15th until Sunday 19th June 2022. Artists performing at the festival this year include Fatboy Slim, The Offspring, Mika and many more. Check out the full program here . It is not too late to get tickets! Click here for more information on what's still available.

A busy weekend of music in Nyon comes to an end, along with this mega heatwave we have been having. We had the Caribana Festival, A Night at the Musicals at the Théâtre de Marens and the Fête de la Musique with stages all over town. Don't worry if you missed them though, there are still lots more musical events on the way! Fête de la Musique Lausanne If you missed the Fête de la Musique in Nyon this weekend there's still time to soak in the musical vibes all across the city of Lausanne this Summer Solstice, Tuesday 21st June 2022. Check out the programme here. Fête de la Musique Geneva The 31st edition of the Festival will be in the city of Geneva 24th-26th June. Featuring nearly 450 concerts, dance performances, films and food and drink stands galore! With music from all over the world, rap, rock, song, jazz, baroque, symphonic music and family workshops, there will be something for everyone! Check out the full programme here . Un été sous les Marronniers -  A Summer under the Chestnut Trees This summer festival is taking place at the Esplanade des Marronniers in Nyon from 23rd June until 18th September. The City of Nyon presents concerts, DJ sets, theatrical performances, dance shows, petanque and chess tournaments, Qi-gong and Pilates classes, creative workshops, arts and crafts market and many other activities. Wednesdays to Sundays throughout the summer on the Esplanade des Marronniers. There is also a bar for drinks and snacks from Thursday to Sunday. Check out the full programme here . Montreux Jazz Festival Kicking off 1st July 2022 the 56th edition of the Festival has a jam-packed programme full of musical artists including A-HA, John Legend, Diana Ross, Paolo Nutini and many more. Click here for tickets and more information. If you just want to head down to the waterfront and soak in the atmosphere, Montreux Jazz Festival also has an extensive free programme on the stunning waterfront, featuring more than 450 activities on 11 stages. Perle Festival  This Electro and Reggae Festival is happening this weekend at the Château de Rolle 24th - 25th June. Friday will feature on the stage Electro and House artists Angel Cielo, Libby Lawes, Lucas Mascolo and more. The Saturday night stage is Reggae, Dub and Dancehall featuring artists Brother Culture, Little Lion Sound, Nessus and more. Full programme here . Entrance is free and there will be food trucks to keep you going as you enjoy the music. There is also a Retro Bar offering a Disco and Hip Hop night- you can reserve your place here. Rive Jazzy Festival The 29th Rive Jazzy Festival takes place 30th June until 7th August in the Quartier de Rive in Nyon. This summer, enjoy the different styles of live music the festival has to offer down by the lake. From Jazz to Blues, and Swing, Latino and Rock - check out the full programme here . Firefly Festival Non-stop dancing and music for all at the 2nd edition of the Firefly Festival taking place Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July in Pregny-Chambesy (6 min from Place des Nations). For kids there will be plenty of activities - Cirquenbulle - a circus workshop, a carousel, face-painting and lots more! There will also be an eco-market, a special Sunday Brunch by Sawerdo, foodtrucks and bars. Free for those under 15 years old. Click here for the full programme. Paléo Festival Paléo , one of Europe's biggest music festivals happening right here in Nyon 19th -24th July 2022. The line-up is a mix of musical genres with artists including KISS, Sting, DJ Snake, Stromae, Rag'n'Bone Man - see who else here . There are still tickets available for Tuesday night with KISS, Dropkick Murphys, Panda Dub and many more performing. For those with tickets, download the Paléo Tickets mobile app for a simple and secure way to keep your tickets and passes on your phone. Find out more here

Summer is officially here and after the mega heatwave we experienced last week, many of us have been swimming in the lake trying to cool down. With so many stunning beaches along Lac Léman to choose from, one big issue still threatens to interrupt beach-goers' enjoyment - The dreaded duck fleas or puces de canard ! Read on to find out all you need to know about duck fleas in this article written by Living in Nyon's founder Catherine over 10 years ago. The advice is still just as relevant today! Lac Léman beaches Below is an approximate translation from a publication Carte des Plages du Leman produced by CIPEL . It has a map of all the beaches and places you can swim around the entire lake. It also lists the water quality around all of these beaches and you will be pleased to know that many of these fall into “good quality water” category, a few fall into the “average quality” mark and only one beach (on the French side) out of a total of 116 around the entire lake falls into “bad quality” and where you cannot swim. Living in Nyon is delighted that Dr Michelle Wright an English speaking General Practitioner has helped with this translation and added some advice of her own. Here is the translation from the leaflet from CIPEL “The beaches around Lac Léman are practically all favourable for swimming. 50 metres from the edge, the water is of good quality to swim in, however it is not safe to drink. Even on an extremely clean beach, there may be a risk of ‘swimmers dermatitis’ or ‘duck fleas’, especially in shallow waters which are rich in vegetation and where the temperature is over 20 degrees centigrade. This is a natural phenomenon and bears no relation to pollution. This dermatological problem is caused by the larvae of a duck parasite that penetrate human skin and cause intense itching. Fortunately it is not dangerous. To avoid ‘swimmers dermatitis’, it is recommended to take a shower immediately after swimming and to dry yourself off vigorously with a towel afterwards. It is also advisable to avoid swimming close to the plants and vegetation near to the water’s edge. If you do get a rash, you should avoid scratching it in order to prevent secondary bacterial infection. The rash should disappear without any traces within 10-20 days.” What are ‘duck fleas’? Duck fleas or puces de canard are actually a relatively common problem that can result from swimming in Lac Léman. They can lead to an itchy skin rash known as ‘swimmers itch’ or ‘swimmers dermatitis’. It is not caused by fleas exactly but by a worm-like parasite whose usual host is the ducks that live in the lake. Whilst you are swimming in the lake, immature forms of the parasite larvae can penetrate ‘mistakenly’ through your skin rather than finding their usual host, a duck. So humans are infected ‘accidentally’. The parasite actually dies when it enters your skin but your body develops an allergic reaction to the parasite and it is this that causes the rash. What are the symptoms? On your first exposure to the parasite, you may not have any reaction or develop any symptoms. However, you can still become ‘sensitized’ to the parasite and the next time that you are exposed to it, symptoms can develop. If symptoms do develop, you may notice tiny red spots at the points at which the larvae have penetrated your skin. The spots can be tingly or itchy. After a few hours, the spots tend to become bigger and more ‘pimple-like’ or bumpy. Intense itching is usual at this stage. Occasionally, blistering can occur over the next few days. The rash will develop on areas of the skin exposed to the water. So, skin under a swimsuit can be protected and therefore spared from the rash. If you have developed swimmer’s itch before, you may develop a more severe rash the next time you are exposed to the parasite. What treatment do I need if I get ‘duck fleas’? The rash will eventually go away of its own accord but may take between 10-20 days to disappear completely. If you have just a few itchy patches, you may not need any treatment. However, most of the time, itching is quite intense. It is important to control itching because scratching can damage your skin further and sometimes lead to a secondary bacterial infection which may need treatment with antibiotics. Calamine lotion or an antihistamine may help to treat itching. Antihistamine liquid is available for children. However, do take care when using antihistamines as some can make you drowsy. Take advice from your local pharmacist to make sure that they are safe for you to use. A mild corticosteroid cream such as 1% hydrocortisone can also sometimes be helpful. Rarely, in very severe cases, steroids taken by mouth may be needed. How can I avoid ‘duck fleas’? As suggested by CIPEL: Take a shower as soon as you get out of the water. Most of the beaches around the lake have showers available on the lakeside. Dry yourself off with a towel after your shower. The brisk rubbing motion with a towel can help to stop the larvae from penetrating your skin. Avoid swimming close to the plants and vegetation at the water’s edge. These can be a particular habitat for the parasite General points about safety around water: Always take care whilst swimming in the lake or anywhere else. Many drowning incidents could have been prevented. Never leave children unattended. If you are watching children playing in or near water, take care not to become distracted. Learn to swim. Teach children to swim. Don’t swim alone; swim with a buddy. Don’t swim whilst under the influence of alcohol. Know the water where you are swimming. Remember that lakes and rivers can have strong currents. Don’t dive or jump into unfamiliar or shallow water. Everyone on board should wear a life jacket when in a boat.

Looking for activities to do this Summer? Equip and BoxUp Apps have you covered! Equip have self-service stations all over the area and at the Falaise Beach in Gland. There are up to six stand-up paddle boards available AND thanks to the City of Gland, free of charge! Many people own a paddle board nowadays as the activity has grown in popularity over the years. Here is an option for days when you don't want to carry your paddle board and all the equipment down to the beach. Or you just want to try it out without commitment. Or, maybe you have visitors and you want to spend some time paddling together on the beautiful, clear waters of Lac Léman. Whatever the reason, it is too good of an opportunity to miss! How does it work? Download the Equip App Create an account (credit card required) Go to the Stand-up Paddle Station and simply unlock one of the lockers with your phone. Also included with your board: An ankle strap, two life jackets and a basket for your belongings. Paddles are accessible 07h - 20h everyday. There are also SUP Stations at Céligny, Founex and Rolle Beaches but at a charge. (Your first hour is free when you sign up!) BoxUp App You also have free access to other leisure equipment for free at Falaise Beach in Gland with BoxUp. Spikeball Table tennis Petanque Fitness kit Beach tennis The BoxUp Station is open 24/7 and is self sufficient and runs on solar panels. It works like the Equip App. Download the app Choose the activity you wish to do Enjoy! There are also other BoxUp locations along the lake. So no excuses. Visit Gland beach and take advantage of the free activities there this Summer! If you are planning to spend time down at the lake, read our article on how to avoid the dreaded duck fleas  here .