Search

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

Swimming Lessons over the Easter holidays and throughout the year Clinique La Lignière in Gland is offering both group and individual swimming lessons over the Easter holidays in its indoor swimming pool. Courses run throughout the year and during school holidays. This clinic and the swimming pool is set in lovely grounds and is situated just beyond the town of Gland. The clinic also offers Aquagym classes, it has a gym, jacuzzi, sauna, offers personal training and massages for both relaxation, back treatment etc. Click here for more details Job Hunting for the over 45s in Switzerland Swiss Info has recently featured an interesting article on job hunting for the over 45's in Switzerland. Entitled  "Too old to be hired, too young to retire" it highlights the difficulty of job hunting for older workers and how that only 1% of Swiss job ads are aimed at people over 45.  Click here for the full article Local Church Services  La Côte church (in Gingins and Divonne) is holding services in English over the Easter period. Click here  for their weekly bulletin. Westlake church (in Nyon and Lausanne) also has a programme of Easter services. Click here

The next Geneva English Drama Society production is  Dancing At Lughnasa  by Brian Friel. This play has won the Olivier Award , the Tony Award , the Evening Standard Award and the New York Drama Critics Award . Synopsis below. Michael, now a young man in 1960, relives the late summer days of 1936, when music on the radio seemed miraculous, the church seemed infallible, and love briefly seemed possible for his unmarried mother and her four sisters. On the west coast of Donegal, the five brave and hardworking Mundy sisters welcome home their frail elder brother Jack, who has re-turned from a life as a missionary in Africa. The summer is made unforgettable by three arrivals: Uncle Jack, Michael’s prodigal father Gerry, and a wireless radio - the family’s one luxury. Unbeknownst to the sisters, tragic and brutal events will make this the last time the family would all be together.  They step out into the afternoon September sun to enjoy their tea, unaware that this is the best it ever will be. Cast members are:  Cathy Boyle,  Andrew Brookes, Viki Lazar, Catherine Monagle, Daire O’Doherty, Gemma Parkes, Colin Paterson and Béibhinn Regli. The play is directed by Charles Slovenski Dates - 3- 7 March  Tuesday-Friday 20:00  Saturday 19:00 Théâtre de l'Espérance, 8 rue de la Chapelle, 1207 Geneva Tickets: CHF 30 (seats numbered), students CHF 20 on presentation of student card (must be purchased at the theater on the night of the show) For more info: See GEDS To buy tickets:   See here

The signs are going up around the town and the pace for Euro2008 is hotting up. Shame the weather isn't doing the same .

From St Cergue to Chamonix The snowdrops are out, yet the snow is still in great condition, so what are the best options for skiing from Nyon, both nearby and up to 90 minutes drive away? St Cergue Nyon's own "ski-hill" is at St Cergue which is easily accessible via the red NStCM train from the centre of town. The two slopes are open all day Saturday and Sunday, and Tuesday to Friday afternoon. However, arguably the best way to enjoy skiing at St Cergue is to finish work early and try the night skiing from 7-10 pm on Tuesday to Saturday. You can combine this with a fondue at one of six participating restaurants. See their website for more info A little bit further on and worthy of a full day is to ski at La Dole. Accessible by car or by the red train and a bus connection (take either the 07.56 or 08.56 trains from Nyon), La Dole has a chairlift and 8 button tows. It is also connected through to the French resort of Les Jouvencelles. Take your passport! See La Dole website Options less than a 90 minute drive away Further afield there are many options within less than 90 minutes drive from Nyon. Heading east around the lake past Lausanne, there are a range of options including Leysin, Villars, Verbier and les Portes du Soleil. For families, Villars is a good option. Park either at the free car park on the left hand side on entering the town, and take the gondola onto the slopes, or alternatively, park in the underground carpark in the centre of Villars opposite the train station and take the train upto Bretaye. Take plenty of coins for the underground carpark - you will need CHF12 for 6 hours. Bretaye is the centre of the ski area from where the slopes radiate out. There is a flat area for beginners, a ski rental shop and several restaurants. Villars website Champery Across the other side of the Rhone valley, and opposite the Dents du Midi mountain range there is the village of Champery. It is part of the vast Portes du Soleil resort which has 650km of slopes. Set off from Nyon at 8.15 and you could be pulling up at the carpark in front of the cablecar by 9.30. Pack your passport as the best skiing is arguably over the border in France on the slopes of Avoriaz and Chatel. Whilst there are plenty of blue slopes, there are also unpisted and steep slopes - including the downhill course at Avoriaz and the infamous "Wall" which is the Swiss side of the border on the way home (though there is no embarrassment in taking the chairlift down if you don't fancy the moguls). There are also plenty of typical Savoyard restaurants, including several nice ones in the Les Lindarets "goat village" above Montiond. Portes du Soleil website Both Villars and Champery are also accessible by train from Nyon. Take the train to Brig and change in Aigle. There are mountain trains that connect to Villars and Champery, as well as Leysin and Les Diablerets. Les Contamines Heading west from Nyon around Geneva and down to Chamonix, another great option for families and those who prefer to ski on blue and red runs is Les Contamines. Turn off the motorway at St Gervais and in the town turn left to Les Contamines. This is a resort that is "off the beaten track", with wide open slopes situated above the tree line. It is situated in the snow shadow of Mont Blanc and so often has good snow. Drive through the village. If there is no car park space by the first gondola station you come to, drive further up the valley and there is a larger car park and a second gondola that will take you up the mountain. Les Contamines website Les Grands Montets at Chamonix A final recommendation for those who like steep slopes is Les Grands Montets at Chamonix. Drive to Chamonix, then carry on up towards the head of the valley to Argentière where the Grands Montets cable car is on the right hand side just off the main road. Be prepared to share the cable car with ski-mountaineers complete with ice axes and other high altitude equipment. Pay an extra fee and you can join them and take a cablecar upto 3300m and enjoy some off piste skiing through mountain wilderness and up close to a glacier. All less than 90 minutes from Nyon. Chamonix website A few other tips. Most of the larger resorts allow you to buy your lift pass on the internet. You will need to have a "hands free" ski pass. Several resorts also offer a loyalty scheme. Collect points every time you ski and you will be able to get either a discount or eventually a free day skiing.

A New York concept in Nyon - Healthy take away food from Falaque When Sharin Hossain first moved to Vaud in 2006 she was surprised at how difficult it was to get a healthy takeaway or delivery service in the area. Having previously lived in New York, she was used to the convenience and choice of dial up food delivery services. Finding nothing similar here, Sharin spotted a gap in the market and set about creating her own take-away business. She prepared a healthy selection of Bangladeshi dishes cooked in her own kitchen in the village of Crans, her husband handled the deliveries and the Falaque business was born. After quickly acquiring a loyal customer base for these home-made meals, she knew she was on to a winner. She offered, every Friday, a full dinner with a starter, main, vegetable, rice and dessert, all delivered to the customer's home. The idea worked so well and the food itself was so highly praised, she knew that the next logical step would be to open a small take away / restaurant in the local area. A fresh and modern look for fresh and modern food So she went on the hunt for premises. After a long wait and a few hiccups along the way, Sharin finally found the perfect location in Nyon at the south end of Place Perdtemps. She commissioned a local architect to redesign the space and gave them the brief of turning the place into a modern eatery. “The last thing I wanted was a place with clichéd Indian statues and objects everywhere. I wanted the look to reflect the food which is fresh and fun. Plus, I won’t always be preparing Bengali/Indian food all the time, although my roots lie in Bengali cooking, there will be occasions when I will try other types of international cuisines”. Photo above: Sharin in the kitchen in view from the restaurant Sharin also put in a request for an open hatch to be visible from the restaurant itself so customers could see both Sharin and her kitchen staff preparing and cooking the meals in the kitchen beyond. Another satisfied customer! Sharin’s reputation at providing delicious food cooked at home has now continued at the restaurant and customers trust her to provide a variety of interesting and menus each day. Customers who order a meal are now given the option of an “express” meal, a “sports” meal or a “fun” meal with a simple, basic pricing structure.  Falaque has now become an institution in the area and it has received a lot of praise and happy customers judging by its Facebook page. Living in Nyon has sampled the food, and can highly recommend it! Try it for yourself! New customers get a discount on their first order a nd home deliveries on a Monday and Tuesday are free. Falaque is open every day apart from Sunday. The choice of tasty menus for each day and for the entire week are posted on the website, vegetarian options are always available.   For full details see here

LE Nez - The Nose by Kim Nguyen  Screening today at the Thèâtre de Grand-Champ, Gland  Tuesday 20 April at  15:00 Info and tickets here Film Review from Visions du Réel by Trish Thalman. The Nose Knows! A chef comments that when you have a meal in a restaurant, the waiter asks "how does the meal taste? " The chef believes the waiter should ask " how does it smell ?"  We smell before we taste and a good taste is related to a good smell. Don't worry if you like to have a good smell of your food before you eat it. You'll enjoy what is on the plate more if you have had a good nose down and inhale deeply. The sense of smell is a major part of our being, from the moment we are born and have the first smell of mother's milk. Smell is an overwhelming part of our memory (grandma's cookies when you smell vanilla essence), emotions and desires. Women have a more strongly developed sense of smell, but it is primarily men who are famous for creating the finest perfumes for women. 'The Nose' is a lively, colourful, well constructed film that has us meeting a full spectrum of people speaking in the most captivating manner about smell and how they use their noses.  See trailer below We begin with a woman who, through an accident, lost her sense of smell for some years (it returned), and continue through truffle hunters and truffle merchants, perfume makers, wine and food experts, speech therapists, a saffron collector in Morocco and children being asked to describe the scent of a truffle ("smells like my dog ") . All have their story to tell as to how they use their nose with scents for work and pleasure in everyday and professional lives. We learn that 'outer space' smells "like the smell in the air after a gun has been fired". A scientist takes us through a diagram of how scent/smell makes it's way up through our nose to the olefactory nerve and embeds into our brain. Fast work for the nose, and the memories remain forever, the good and the bad. Another scientist explains to us what ambergris is, an essential product used in the making of fine perfumes. A highly valuable commodity that comes from whales. I learn something new every day. A German perfume maker has created a special 'scent of a woman'. Men seem to like it. One woman broke up with her boyfriend because they were  "scent-ually incompatible". An excellent, charming film, with the right amount of scientific facts to enjoy, even if there isn't 'smell-o-vision' when the elegant bottle of 'Channel No. 5' is shown, and a 'mythical' story about Marilyn Monroe is told.

Calendar Girls. "Pick your Own" fruit and flowers The Geneva English Drama Society will be performing the play "Calendar Girls" from Tuesday June 18th to Saturday June 22.  The weekday performances are at 20:00 and the Saturday show is at 19:00. There will be a special gala performance on Friday June 21 in the presence of the original Miss February- Angela Baker! Proceeds from the evening will go to benefit two Geneva cancer charities.  Photo below: The "Calendar Girls" of GEDS in rehearsal. The play will be preformed at the  Théâtre Pitoëff, 52 rue de Carouge, Plainpalais. For more details of the production  click here.   For tickets, click here Synopsis of the play: When Annie’s husband John dies, the ladies of the Knapeley WI (Women’s Institute) decide to raise money for a new settee in the family waiting area of the hospital. They realize that they need a more compelling way to raise money than their traditional calendar with views of Yorkshire. As Annie’s friend Chris puts it, “a slight shift from a WI Calendar of Spectacular Views, to a calendar of Spectacular Views of the WI.” The ladies produce a calendar of them performing the standard occupations of the WI such as baking, playing music and knitting. The only catch is that they are all nude!  The amateur rights for the play have only been released for one year in order to have as many productions worldwide as possible for a Guinness World Record. "Pick your Own" - Strawberries and Flowers. The warm weather has finally arrived in Vaud and with it the seasonal fruits have now appeared. There are quite a few farms in the Nyon area that offer a "pick your own" service. The farm Pré-de-Vers just outside Rolle  on the lake road (details and map here ) has lots of delicious, succulent strawberries to pick right now. You can pick them until the 20th June 00 on Monday to Friday from 14:00 to 19:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. Call 078 691 32 73.   You can either take your own container which will be weighed before you start picking the strawberries, punnets are also provided for those who arrive empty handed! There is also a small farm shop on the premises. There will be  sunflowers to pick from July to September and then tulips in March to April. Photo above - a family from Lausanne picking strawberries. Below: The friendly Madame Bonvin at the farm shop Above - Apple juice and home made jams for sale - Below - You can't miss the sign for the farm shop on the Route Suisse!  If you like the idea of picking your own flowers, the farm called the Domaine de Bois-Bougy (on the outskirts of  Nyon just past the tennis club) is offering  a "pick  your own" service.  Flowers in bloom at the moment are beautiful white, pink and dark red peonies, there are some lettuces too. There are some lilies toowhich are almost ready (this post was written on Sunday 16 June). There is an honesty box next to the field to pay for the flowers collected. There are secateurs  provided.  This farm is also a bed and breakfast establishement. Photo below - Flowers and strawberries picked locally and back at home.

Listed below are a few musical, sports and other events coming up in the area, plus news of a Living in Nyon book launch on the 4th October!   Music -  On Saturday 24th September Canadian singer/ songwriter Ian Kelly will be playing at the Parenthèse in the centre of Nyon. His second album "Speak your Mind" sold over 40,000 copies and he is currently on an European tour. This is his only concert in Switzerland.  See his website here and details of his concert here Jam Sessions at the Plug and Play Studios - Friday nights -  From the 23rd September the Plug and Play studios in Route de Champ-Colin 10 in Nyon will be holding jam sessions on Friday nights and members of the public are invited to bring their instruments to jam with an existing studio band. This is the first time this venue is opening its doors for such an event.   See Facebook page for more details. Jazz Concert -  Note for your diary. There will be a Jazz concert at the Salle Mingus on October 7th at 20:30 at the COV (Les Concerts du Conservatoire)  with the Michel Tirabosco Trio. The programme includes   Tango pour Claude -Richard Galiano, Suite Buenos Aires - Diego Pujjol, Suite Espagnole  - Joaquin Nin,  Aria Bourré-Badinerie - Jean Sébastian Bach and more. See COV for more details. Read more about the Michel Tirabosco Trio here Male "trailing spouse " Beer Night.  The next  event for male trailing spouses will be held at the Brasseurs pub in Nyon on the 27th September at 20:00. See here for details of previous beer nights.  Rugby Match this Sunday 25th September - The Rugby World Cup is in full swing right now and if you are a fan of the game, then why not go down to the Colovray sports ground in Nyon this Sunday to see  R.C Nyon 11 Vs play  R,C Tcino  at 15:00. See Nyon rugby club site here LIVING IN NYON  BOOK LAUNCH - TUESDAY 4th OCTOBER!  - Regular readers of this site will know that since February 2009 La Côte newspaper (the local newspaper of this region), has carried a Living in Nyon column in its Friday pages. This column is written in English and is a light hearted look at living in the region.  A selection of these columns, together with photos and other articles has been complied into a book called   "Living along Lac Léman".  This book will be launched on Tuesday 4th October at the Villa Thomas in Nyon at 19:00 and readers are invited to attend the launch, where there will be an opportunity to purchase the book.  More details to follow about the book itself and the retail outlets that will stock it  here on this site soon. If you would like to attend the launch, please email cnp at bluewin.ch to register your attendance ( please note - space is limited in the venue).

André Borschberg, one of the two pilots currently attempting a round-the-world solar flight in the plane "Solar Impulse", was recently honoured in Nyon and bestowed the award of "bourgeoisie d'honneur de la Ville". This award was given for his pioneering spirit, his bravery, his contribution to society and for flying the Nyon/ Vaud / Swiss colours in all his endeavours! Since 1719, the award has been handed out by the town to just ten people. André Borschberg has lived in Nyon since 1987. André is an engineer by education and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in management science. His passion for aviation and his interest in innovative solutions led him to team up with Bertrand Piccard to direct Solar Impulse.  Fascinated by aviation from his earliest youth, André Borschberg, born in 1952, trained as a pilot in the Swiss air force.  Today he holds an assortment of professional airplane and helicopter pilot’s licences and also does aerobatics in his spare time. Photo above - André Borschberg © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch Yesterday (17 March ) the Solar Impulse plane landed in Ahmedabad after crossing the Arabian Sea, it had completed the longest distance ever flown by a solar airplane in aviation history. You can track the plane's journey and find out discover more about this fantastic project on the Solar Impulse website you can also follow both pilots Tweets! The plane has now just landed (18 March) in Varanasi and will be heading off to Mandalay in Myanmar tomorrow morning and will be piloted by Bertrand Piccard. Lausanne born Bertrand Piccard comes from a famous family of adventurers.  If you want to know more about their history, you can read and discover more about them in the excellent Auguste and Jacques Piccard collection in the Musée du Leman in Nyon.  Photo above - Courtesy Solar Impulse RTW Photo above - Courtesy Solar Impulse - RTW Local dancers give farewell to pilot André Borschberg before take-off from Ahmedabad.

The weather forecast is looking good for this Saturday, perfect conditions for Nyon's outdoor free music festival - Fête de la Musique. This festival takes place in various venues around the town from classical music being played in the Temple of Nyon, to funk in Place St Martin and rock in the place du Château and more. There's a full programme that begins at 08:00 in the morning until late Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning with DJ sets scheduled at the Usine a Gaz. See the programme below  for venues, times, and genres of music at the festival or see festival site here

Saturday night in the centre of Nyon saw a fantastic display of flying fish, walking octopus, floating snakes and other aquatic animals all suspended in the sky as part of the celebrations of 35 years of Paléo . The theatre company, the Plasticiens Volants that produced these fantastic creatures wove their way through the streets of Nyon to the crowd's delight and the evening finished in spectacular style with fireworks above Place Perdtemps. Paléo begins on Tuesday and as in the previous two years Living in Nyon will be there to report on all the action, music and news of this great festival. NEWS! From the beginning of this week there will be a new Living in Nyon! The overall look has remained the same, but the design is cleaner and archived articles will easier to search.  Living in Nyon is also on Twitter too, have a look at the tweets at the bottom of the page coming from Julius Caesar. You will be automatically rerouted to the new site once it is launched. This new design has been produced by Yann Graf,  a local designer from Crassier. Yann is one of the founders of the site Café Vert TV , an environmental site which showcases videos on all that is green and environmental. Some of the videos are fun, some are serious and all are worth checking out. Take a look at the the "expresso" section  which gives you a short burst of latest environmental news. You can also read about and see Yann's own portfolio here .