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The Ciné Club Nyon opens its new season tonight Monday 7th October with its first film of the season, "La Vie D'Adele" ("Blue is the Warmest Colour" in English). This film won the Palme D'or in Cannes in 2013 so kicks off the season in style. The Ciné Club has selected a wide range of interesting films for its new season.  The films shown below are scheduled up until the end of 2013.  For the full programme through until March 2014, see here The Ciné Club offers special extra screenings for members. It costs 90 CHF for membership. This entitles members to view 10 Ciné Club films, a reduction of  2 CHF on the regular films at the Capitole Cinema in Nyon, one free film of your choice at the cinema and an invitation for three other special screenings.  You can also watch a film without becoming a member, the cost of entry is  the normal Monday tariff of CHF 12 4th November  "Sur mes lèvres" "The Straight Story" by David Lynch on the 18th November "Machuca" by Andrés Wood on the 2nd  of December 2013 "Mermaid " by Anna Melikyan on the 16th December 2013

This Sunday the 13th April, it's the Easter market in Nyon. There will be stalls in the Rive area of town and activities. Locally produced goods for sale from 08:00 to 18:30 Also check out the decorated fountains around Nyon, an annual tradition at this time of year. Photo below of a decorated fountain in 2013

Courtesy - cgn.ch Easter Cruise On Lake Leman Why not enjoy Easter Sunday on a cruise around Lake Leman, with a delicious meal prepared specially for the occasion! The menu costs 55.- per adult and 27.50 per child (6-12 year old). P hone +41 (0)848 811 848 to book . For the complete menu, see here Circus Workshop During Easter Holidays Looking for something to do for your kids this Easter? L'Elastique Citrique, Nyon's own circus school proposes week-long workshops during the Easter holidays. Come and learn how to juggle, ride a unicycle, walk on a tightrope or climb on a trapeze throughout a week of fun and discovery. There is room left for the afternoon (1 to 5 p.m.) workshop for 8 to 13 year olds on both weeks. You can find more information and book here .     Circus Starlight In Geneva With “Entresort” Circus Starlight presents their new show, “Entresort” in Geneva, until the 7 th of April . An “entresort” is a sideshow in old funfairs, where the public would continuously enter the attraction at one end and leave at the other, discovering some strange and mysterious act inside- hence the name, entre-sort (enter-exit). This show is a modern retelling of this attraction. On stage, numerous doors lead to as many different memories and moments from the past, full of nostalgic acrobats, clowns and entertainers. More information here Circus Helvetia- Shows In Perroy And Mies Take your kids to a circus show by one of the best Swiss Circuses, Circus Helvetia, for a moment of magic and amazement full of acrobatics, unicycling, juggling and aerial acts. Circus Helvetia will be stopping in Perroy(near Morges) on Tuesday 26 th and Wednesday 27 th , and in Mies(near Coppet) on Thursday 28 th and Friday 29 th . More information and more tour dates here .   Jazz Concert And Local Wine Go and enjoy a nice glass of local wine under the Chateau de Nyon whilst listening to a piano, saxophone and clarinet trio on Thursday 28 th March . The concert starts at 6.30 p.m ., booking required . More info here .     Weekly Night Market In Coppet Every Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. , local market in the port.   Music At The Church Instrumental Ensemble “Le Choeur Brisé” (a pun on the broken choir/the broken heart) will be playing music by G.B. Fontana (1571-1630), with readings of sacred texts from different religious traditions on Friday 29 th March at the Protestant Church in Nyon.( Rue du Temple , in the centre of Nyon). The concert is free and starts at 5 p.m. Flea Market In Rolle On Saturday 30 th March , “A Coffre Ouvert”, the monthly flea market will take place around the Castle in Rolle. It's the perfect occasion if the weather is good for a nice stroll along the lakeside in Rolle.

In front and behind each stage at the start of every Paléo concert, there are always a handful of photographers taking shots of the bands, the singers and the action. Many of these official photographers work with the big photo agencies such as Keystone and Reuters etc. However, Paléo also employs three photographers to record the events of the 6 day festival. One of these is Anne Colliard. With her distinctive blonde curly hair and camera poised, Anne is there well before the gates open at 16.30, until the last concert of the evening. Anne who is from Geneva chatted to Living in Nyon about her work and life as a photographer. Living in Nyon: "Anne, what appeals to you about being a photographer at events like these?" Anne:  "I like the drama of  live performances. I try if I can, to capture the emotion of it all, the intensity of the moment.  A performer gives their all on stage and I want to record it, to get behind the person.  The reaction between the person on stage to their setting, the crowd, their fellow performers is always different and it's fascinating to watch. It's also a privilege to be in such a close position to take the picture.  LIN:  "What are the difficulties of being a concert photographer?"   Anne:  "With each concert, each artist (or their management company) places certain restrictions on the time period that we can take photos. In  the majority of cases we have permission to be there just for the first three songs. The reasons behind these restrictions are various, mainly I guess because in the early stages of the evening the artist still looks good, for example their make up hasn't begun to to run, they are not perspiring too much etc and also it means that the artist can relax a bit more after we have left.  Photo above  - the photo restrictions at each concert This of course can be frustrating as it's often then when they have warmed up, thats when you get the best shots. It's when their emotions are high and the artists are more likely to do unpredictable things.  However rules are rules and we all abide by the code, and there are occasions when some artists let us stay for the whole performance. Photo below courtesy - Paléo.  Anne's photo of William White in performance . "The practical difficulties of taking pictures are when you can't quite get the angle you want from the position you have been given and there's not much room to move, or the artist keeps his or her face close to the microphone all the time. The other hazard is the use of all the dry ice and smoke in some stage acts or poor lighting.  It can be really tricky for contrast. Having said that I don't use filters and work very little on photos in the editing process, just a little cleaning up for dust etc. Photo below - courtesy Paléo.  Anne's photo of Chucho Valdez LIN: "How do all the three photographers work together during the festival?" Anne: "We work as a a team. I usually have a preference for the smaller stages, I'm not too worried about getting the shots of the big named acts, I like to take photos of the "up and coming" artists. So at the start of each festival we sit down together and work out a schedule for us all; who is going to be where and when.  It can be a long day but I'm not complaining, the Paléo week is a very special one, there is a camaraderie amongst us all and we all get the blues when it's over. I live in Geneva and when I first started covering Paléo, I used to go home each night and then the following morning I would spend hours uploading photos from the previous day and start to edit them.  But working this way meant I could never really relax. I would often stay awake thinking about the shots and what I needed to do the following day. Now I upload pretty much every concert, deal with them, post them to the Paléo site and then go home and have a good sleep, its the only way you can get through  a long week like this! Anne originally taught herself photography and then followed this up with a technical course at Studio 23 in Geneva. "Once you learn the basics, it's then like driving a car, you don't need to think twice about the mechanics before taking what will hopefully, be the perfect shot".  She mainly used Canon cameras at the start of her career but has now switched to a Nikon D3S ("it's just fantastic for low light") Photo below - courtesy Paléo.  Anne's photo of  a vocalist from the Boukman Eksperyans. LIN: "I see there are a few other women photographers at the concerts but it still seems like the majority are men. What's it like being in what essentially sems to be a masculine world?"  Anne : "I didn't start my career in this business (Anne was a teacher before she turned to photography). So I feel I have the maturity and confidence to deal with certain situations that can crop up in the concert and photography world. Having said that on the whole there is a politeness and respect amongst us all, particularly here in Switzerland. Photo below - courtesy Paléo.  Anne's photo of the Solillaquists of Sound LIN:  How many photos do you take per concert? Anne: "With digital photography, it would be easy to take hundreds of pictures but I find that around 30 is usually enough to get at least one or two good shots"  LIN: Do you have time to enjoy the music while you are at a concert or are you too focussed on taking the picture? Anne: "I do enjoy the music and you can often find me dancing along, I try to pick up on the atmosphere myself it's all part of trying to capture the image". As to admiring the work of other photographers, Anne is particularly fond of Cartier Bresson. " There are other local photographers that I admire, Claude Dussex takes some superb black and white images of concerts that are truly amazing". LIN:Which concert at Paléo this year has been the most memorable for you for images?   Anne: The lead singer from the BellRays what a character, what a performance! I could have taken photos of her all night! (Anne's photo below -  courtesy Paléo) You can see more of Anne's work on her own website here

There are four pairs of tickets (2 pairs per night) to be won to see "Western Dramedies" at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th February . This show will be performed in English and the production is based on a travel trip which the actors took along Highway 66, between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. You can read more here (in French only)   To be in with a chance to win tickets, email info@usineagaz.ch, and specify which night you would like to attend (Thursday or Friday).  Note: please do not email Living in Nyon for the tickets.

Nyon resembled  a sea-side town today (Friday 16th May) as the Bise wind whipped up strong waves on Lac léman. These waves created perfect conditions for surfing and stand up paddleboarding. See selection of photos below taken near the beach area of the lake. This "plage" area is run by Nyon council and is also a free swimming area. La Plage is also the name of the café/ restaurant  on the lake side situated next to the beach area. It is now under new management for 2014 and has recently opened for the summer season. This restaurant (with friendly staff) offers a small but interesting menu, from fresh fish to tapas, burgers and salads. Living in Nyon (and fellow diner ) can vouch for both the delicious chocolate cake served with a "boule" of home made ice cream and the Tiramisu ("creamy and not too sweet" ).   The restaurant also offers a "plat du jour" at midday and is open in the evening. Look out onto the lake while you dine! See their website for full details. Also recently opened in Nyon, is a fresh fish shop in Rue de la Gare 4 (not far from the  H & M  department store in the centre of town).  This shop, called "Borex Poissons", sells a variety of fish, from smoked salmon (smoked on their own premises), to fish patés, fish brochettes and a selection of fish packs that can be heated to create a ready made fresh meal. The shop has its own website where can read all about the history of this business  (its previous location was in the village of Borex). See this short RTS video about this locally run enterprise which was shot in New Year 2012 when they were busy preparing oysters and other fish for the end of year celebrations. With the waves, fresh fish and the plage .. who needs the sea? If you are interested in renting a paddleboard, sailboat, yacht or simply a pedalo on the lake, then take a look at the latest issue of " Hello Switzerland" magazine. On page 43  you will see an article called " Who Needs the Ocean?"  This article provides useful contacts of sailing schools and rental outlets on the lake.

"Don't ever me call me "Little Rabbit again " is the title of the puppet show which will be performed in Nyon tomorrow afternoon. The famous Marionette/Puppet theatre of Geneva will be bringing this show to the Usine a Gaz  on Wednesday 2nd February at 14:00. Perfect for those for  children in the local school system who have Wednesday afternoon free. Duration 45 mins. For children 4 years upwards.  Here is a quick description of the plot below. Photo in banner credit - Cedric Vincensini "Jean Carotte est un lapin. Il est petit avec d’immenses oreilles. Mais est ce une raison pour que tout le monde l'appelle « mon petit lapin » ? Pour que cela cesse, Jean Carotte décide alors de se révolter, malgré les conseils sages et avisés de son grand-père. Sur ses skis, il est virtuose et en impose. Pour métamorphoser l’image que l’on a de lui et les moqueries qu’il subit, il se met à aligner les grimaces et se montre impoli. Il part à l’aventure, dérape, vole et va jusqu’à se faire gangster, commettant un hold-up. S’ensuit une phénoménale course-poursuite à ski dans la forêt. Arrivé à la case prison, il fait l’expérience de la fraternité et du partage avec – incroyable, mais vrai – un lapinou frondeur encore plus petit que lui : on en croquerait. Ne s’appelle-t-il pas Jean Radis ? C’est peut être un tout petit pas très gentil, mais avec un coeur grand comme ça. Ensemble, ils feront une échappée belle dans la montagne.  Rock at the weekend As a complete contrast, for adults at the Usine a Gaz on Saturday 5th Feb  "Slow Joe and the Ginger Accident"  and "Less is Groove" (billed as funk /soul/ rock) will be playing from 21:00. Finally if you like your rock heavy then check out the Usine on Friday 4th for the Mother Rockers Gand playing at 22:00.   See Usine a Gaz for  details of all concerts and shows. Photo credit "Slow Joe" -  Stephan Marchetti

Swiss International Air Lines   (SWISS) have decided to name one of its planes (an Airbus A320) after the city of Nyon. This is because the town is close to Geneva airport, because it such an attractive place for both residents and visitors, and due to the large number of companies who have chosen to base themselves in the Nyon region.  There will be an official launch of the name at the château of Nyon on Friday, November 30. "Prangins International" organise many events throughout the year for its members, from a "drop in"  drinks every Friday at the village auberge, to Thursday coffee mornings at the café du chateau.  On November 30th, the club will be organising a pub crawl around Nyon.  Check out their site for  further details. Photo above -  the beach at Prangins Moms night out on 28th November . There will be a moms night out in Nyon organised by the website Moms in Vaud. See here for details.

The little red train that goes from Nyon and up into the Jura has been full of passengers each weekend going up to La Givrine, La Cure and St Cergue to ski, snowshoe and to get some winter sun as this low lying cloud seems to have been around Nyon for ages. As it is the half term next week in the local state school system, many of you will be planning to go further afield to ski. Here's a great Ski website that a reader has let me know about called Planet Ski. It's all in English and provide snow and weather reports from the mountains. It has videos too and discusses safety aspects of skiing such as whether to wear a helmet or not. It has an interesting section too called Top Deepest Snow, Top Freshest Snow and Top Coldest! Check it out. More on skiing locally and what the St Cergue tourist board can offer skiiers in tomorrow's post.

Need for Meat – a funny multi-layered self-questioning film about eating meat. Review by Suzy Nelson-Pollard Screening  - Thursday the 21 st of April, at 18:00.   Tickets here Director Marijn Frank is a journalist based in Amsterdam, and due to her work, she is no stranger to meat factories. She understands the ethical issues behind eating meat, as well as the environmental and health impacts, and she knows that the right choice for her is to become a vegetarian (and stay one). She believes this strongly enough that she doesn’t feed meat to her toddler daughter. Yet… Marijn loves meat. She loves sausages, steaks, hamburgers, meatballs…she loves juicy meat so much that a neuro scan reveals that her brain is more reactive to images of meat than of sex. So Marijn goes on a mission to understand why she seems to have a need for meat and whether this is problematic. To do so, she trains for six weeks at a local slaughterhouse, with one ultimate aim: to slaughter a cow. Photo above and below - courtesy Visions du Réel. On her six-week journey, Marijn sees a psychotherapist to discuss the process, she learns about in-vitro meat, about industrial slaughterhouses as well as organic ones, she flirts with a chef who cooks fancy meat-based meals, and she questions and questions herself. When the dreaded day of killing the cow comes, Marijn is completely conflicted about her project and about her mission, and of course, about killing the cow. What follows is a surprising conclusion, a clarity for nuance and a charming film that is both funny, topical yet not patronizing. It is a refreshing watch which avoids black and white morality and sparks many interesting questions and debates for the spectator. Note: Some of the images are unsuitable for children.

If you are still looking for Christmas present ideas, why not give a book  written by an English author that lives locally here in Switzerland?                       We have chosen a selection of eight books covering a variety of genres and to suit all tastes. From a non-fiction book " The Greatest Photography Tips  in the World" by Alistair Scott (an author who lives in Gland), to a young adult book,  "Untethered" by Katie Hayoz.  Katie's book was a finalist in the Mslexia  2013 novel competition. Then there is a murder mystery novel "Murder in Paris" written by D-L Nelson who lives in Geneva, to a  fascinating biography , " The Banker's Daughter" written by Caroline Thonger on Eva Steinthal, born in the last decade of the 19th century, the third of seven children of one of the richest Jewish men in Berlin.   Crossing Qalandiya"   is an extraordinary true story written by Daniela Norris and Shireen Anabtawi about two women who meet at a party in Geneva - both are mothers, both a similar age. But one is Israeli, the other Palestinian. So divided by fear and hatred are their two countries, they realise they will never be able to visit one another at home, despite living less than 100km apart. So, they begin to exchange letters.  See below to find out what happens next and read more about this book. "Rapeseed"  is a multicultural novel about a  synesthetic expatriate called, Carolann Cooper. She sees her letters and numbers and her turbulent memories in colour, accompanied by blended senses of smell, music, and texture.  This book is by American Nancy Freund who lives in Lausanne. All the above authors are members of the Geneva Writers' Group.  The group meets monthly, from September to June at the Geneva Press Club, with a programme of writing workshops, critiquing sessions, and master classes. Membership is open to all who wish to develop their creative writing skills. encouragement and support are given to both beginning and published writers. The founder of the group, Susan Tiberghien has published several books and we have chosen one of these,  the excellent " One year to a Writing Life"  as a suggested Christmas present, an ideal gift if you know of anyone who is interested in writing fiction or non-fiction. And finally, don't forget  Living in Nyon's own book " Living along Lac Léman ". This book is a light hearted look at living along lake Geneva, it's a selection of columns that have been published in English in La Côte newspaper. From "Fondue Fuddle" to learning French, to observations on  Swiss street names it will help you to get to know a bit more about the customs and culture living in this part of Switzerland.  The book can be ordered online through this site or can be purchased in Payot Nyon, other local retails outlets and new ! it is now available in Munchkins café in Founex. Book 1 - "Untethered" by Katie Hayoz  -a book for young adults "Untethered" by Katie Hayoz -   Katie is American and lives in Geneva. Katie says,  "The age range for this book is 13+ but adults can appreciate it too!"   See more of Katie's writing on her own website , you can order her book on Amazon here . Here is her author page  on Amazon.Finalist in the Mslexia novel competition,   "Untethered"   explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability. It is a touching, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking novel that speaks to the self-doubt lurking in us all. Synopsis - Sylvie has been best friends with Cassie forever. But everything is turned around when the boy Sylvie’s loved since fifth grade falls for Cassie. Devastated, Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible, even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the dark side of astral projection. She is positive her plans will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control. Book 2 "Rapeseed" by Nancy Freund "Rapeseed" by author Nancy Freund  - Nancy is  American and she lives near Lausanne. Read reviews of Rapeseed here on  Goodreads .  The book can be ordered through   "Off theShelf English Book Shop"  in Geneva and is also available on Amazon. Synopsis - "Rapeseed" is a many-coloured, multicultural novel about a synesthetic expatriate, Carolann Cooper. She sees her letters and numbers and her turbulent memories in colour, accompanied by blended senses of smell, music, and texture. When her family moves from small town Kansas to London, the upheaval cracks open her colourful history and exposes secrets she has kept with her husband -- and from him too. At the same time, her teenage son Chip is tempted by risky new freedoms. Carolann has to urgently find out who she really is, to reconcile her past with her fragile family's future. "Rapeseed " is a sensitive coming-of-age novel about a teenage boy, a remarkable adult coming-of-age novel about Carolann, and a family's coming-of-age novel... because families evolve and come of age too. Book 3 "The Banker's Daughter" by Caroline Thonger  - Synopsis of the book, see image below. Caroline lives in the pretty village of Grimentz in the Valais.  For a copy of the book  email her at cthonger@gmail.com  -  20  CHF including all postage+packing. Book  4  - "Murder in Paris" by D-L Nelson.   D-L is American and spends her time between Geneva and Argelès sur Mer in the South of France. This book  is part of the "five star" mystery series. You can see more D-L's writing and other novels on her own website here   Her books are available on Amazon Synopsis - Murder in Paris  - Tech writer Annie Young breaks her engagement when her fiancé forbids her to take an assignment documenting a Paris dig at the site of a thirteenth century inn supervised by her old lover archaeologist Luca Martinelli. Amelie, (another dig volunteer) is found shot on the site. Luca, Amelie's lover is in the process of a divorce and is a prime suspect. Book 5 "Crossing Qalandiya" by Daniela Norris and Shireen Anabtawi    "Crossing Qalandia" by Daniela Norris and Shireen Anabtawi.  The co- author of this book Daniela Norris. You can find out more about Daniela, her other work and writing on her own website here  Synopsis   -Two women meet at a party in Geneva - both mothers, both a similar age. But one is Israeli, the other Palestinian. So divided by fear and hatred are their two countries, they realise they will never be able to visit one another at home, despite living less than 100km apart. So, they begin to exchange letters. As their friendship grows they discuss not only their families, childcare and recipes, but also the wars and ethnic tensions that have shaped their lives. Their exchange is fraught with challenge, but also a sincere desire on each side to understand the thinking and grievances of the other. This is a moving and illuminating exchange of ideas at once accessible and profound, personal and political - and a beacon of hope in the wilderness of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Book 6  "One year to a Writing  Life" by Susan Tiberghien This book is "An innovative portable workshop to give readers a solid foundation for their writing careers and to lead them to a writing life". See Susan's website here   The book is available here  or via Off theShelf English book shop in Geneva. Book 7 "  The Greatest Photography Tips  in the world"  by Alistair Scott  Content -   This fully-illustrated, 200-page hardback book is the perfect guide to using your camera more effectively. Though written with a humorous tone, it gives serious guidance on everything from buying your equipment, through using the camera’s exposure controls, to techniques for portrait, landscape and family photography. There is even a chapter on earning cash from your camera. You can buy personalised, signed copies from the author's website here . Book 8 Finally, don't forget the "Living along Lac Léman"  book. Living in Nyon's own book. Read more about the book and order it here Just 29 CHF a copy.  Free delivery within the Nyon, Prangins, Rolle, and Coppet region  For other areas - Postage per book – Courier B CHF - CHF 1.80 Courier A CHF 2.00  or pick up a copy in  local retail outlets more details here

Is the iMac or the exercise book a better teaching tool for pupils? It's a hot topic for teachers and parents alike in 2008, but it's interesting to see how Nyon pupils fared and what subjects they learnt back in 1908. Take a close look at this exercise book from a Nyon pupil and you will see that top of the list was "behaviour". This came before "biblical history" and "reading and writing". Exercise books and old maps from 1908 were all on display at the Centreville school in Nyon when it opened its doors to the public on Saturday to celebrate its centenary. In 1908 a pupil had written in his geography book that the population of the USA was 80 million (it is now around 305 million) and in Holland it was 8.5 million (it is now around 16.4 million). The hand writing in many of the books was perfect, very neat and tidy indeed! Some things haven't changed from 100 years ago, and that is both children and parents are partial to a slice of cake or a biscuit as the (vente de patisserie) went down very well.