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Nyon lights up for the 1st This Friday is Swiss National day and Nyon will be playing its part as usual in the celebrations. There will be the usual cortège (parade) setting off throughout town followed by the lighting of a bonfire on the lake and a firework display over the lake. The parade is good for families as the children get to carry lanterns through the streets and there is usually much jollity. Sadly this Nyon correspondent will not be there this year, but I will be back and posting more Nyon events from the 13th August onwards with new additions to the site and updates.There is much to still look forward to this summer in Nyon with the festival of living arts F.A.R starting on the 13th August and other events in the summer months. Check out the Nyon tourist website for full listingsIn the meantime, thankyou to everyone who has been so supportive of this site and for sending me new ideas for it. Enjoy the next couple of weeks. The lake is looking lovely, the mountains too and as I type this, the temperature is well... baking hot.Remember the shops are closed all day Friday 1st and close early on Thursday.A bientot

Photo above:  - passengers waiting for the evening ferry from Nyon to Yvoire. The Usine a Gaz 2010/2011 programme is now out and as usual there is a wide variety of theatrical and musical acts for both adults on children in the upcoming months.  The season begins on the 10th September with Jacka Youth and the Botanical Roots Band   (reggae). As this is on the first Friday of the month, the concert is free,  (they have been free the first Friday of the month for the past 10 years). On Saturday 11th September at 13:00 in the Place du Chateau, the Usine a Gaz is joining up with the Bains des 3 Jetees, L'ADAC   the new arts association (more on these in a later post) and Focale the photography group. They will all be hosting a day called "En Septembre deviens membre" (in September become a member), this in an opportunity to find out more about each group and sign up to one of their courses or become a member should you wish. At 17:00 there will be a small concert in the courtyard of the castle and from 17:00- 21:00 there will be a projection of photos from Focale followed by a rock concert down at the Usine. The Usine a Gaz is a town council arts sponsored facility so it is always looking for volunteers to help in various activities whether it is working at the bar, selling tickets, helping backstage etc. In return for a certain amount of volunteering you then get free entry to the concerts. For more information contact the main office on 022 361 4404. Other events in the Nyon area this coming weekend . Wine tasting, art exhibition, jazz performance Saturday 4th September Caves Ouvertes at the Château de Crans - Wine tasting throughout the day, visit of the cellars, walk among the vines, exhibitions of art by local artist Gérard Liardon and ceramist Véronique Bobesto Firiona. Music 11:00- 15:30 "Geneva Brass Quintet" and 16:30 to 20:00 "Vufflens Jazz Band". Also on Saturday 4th September down at the small  private 1306 club in the old town, the  American Jazz accordonist Kenny Kotwitz will be playing from 20:30 onwards. Kenny has worked with Michel Legrand, Johnny Mercer, Dave Grusin etc. See the 1306 club for more details. Finally this weekend up in the village of Buchillon  there will be over 80 artists exhibiting their work in small formats (30cm x30cm!) in an exhibition called  Buchillons au Carré.  ("Buchillon Squared"). This will take place in the Grande Salle in Buchillon. Launch of exhibition Friday  17:00 -20:00  Saturday  10:00- 19:00 and  Sunday 10:00- 17:00.

This eclectic mix is an example of what's on in the Nyon area over the next few days. Kate Winslet, as she will be in The Reader which is the Monday night movie in English in Nyon.The movie starts at 20.45. This film won her an Oscar this year for best actress. It is also been shown in Morges on Sunday at 20:30 Hip Hop/Groove, because tonight Friday 27th, the band Tweek are playing at 22.00 down at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon. You can hear some of their music here on My Space . Entrance 10chf Doors open at 21:00 They sing in English. Tulips, because the Morges Tulip festival starts tomorrow and lasts until the 10th May. Hundreds of thousands of daffodils and tulips are planted in the park along the lake side in Morges and when they all come into bloom (the tulips usually around mid-april depending on the weather conditions), then it is a lovely sight. Chocolate because this Saturday it's the Versoix Chocolate Festival. This a chocoholic's paradise and a good day out for families too with choco trains and chocolate egg making workshops. The festival goes on all day, check out the site for the full programme. There are various markets going on around the area this weekend. Sunday 29th The monthly flea market in Nyon dall day down by the lake In Morges, a massive "Vide Grenier" from 08:00 to 18:00 in the CFF Halls Details here Two choir events Choir events and finally Sat 28th in the Salle Polvalente in Trélex. Annual evening with the choirs of Trelex and the men's choir of Givrins. Doors open at 19:30 event at 20:30 Tel 079 648 43 59 Friday 27 and Saturday 28th two "annual village" evenings in Fechy with a mixed choir L'Aurore. Held in the Salle Communale at 20:30 on both nights - Tel 021 821 1240

Photo above -  Happy Dancers at first night of Caribana 2012 The weather stayed dry on Wednesday for the first night of Caribana with an international mix of music on the programme. From "Pony Pony, Run, Run" from France performing on the main stage, to the energetic "Rambling Wheels" from Neuchatel, followed by "Gossip" the main headline act, the lake side festival kicked off in fine style.  Thursday night acts include Kasabian,  Everlast, Revolver and Gorillaz Sound System. Photo above - Mr Jon Fox from The Rambling Wheels . The band played a cool, funked up version of Lana del Rey's video games.   Photo above - The main stage at Caribana Photo above - The Rambling Wheels Photo above - Beth Ditto of Gossip  Photo above -  festival goer Lucy from Morges. Photos below, more Caribana fans

There are four free invitations for readers to join Lloyds TSB Private banking for refreshments and canapés on a London double decker bus at the   Classic Car show on the 6th October in Morges . This gathering of classic cars in a the lovely lakeside setting of Morges is now in its 21st  year. In 2011 the event attracted more than 20,000 visitors and saw over 1600 classic British cars and motorbikes arrive from Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Everything from MGs from the 1950s, Austins from the 1930s, racing Jaguars from the ‘60s, and old Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Plus a number of motor bikes, including classic Nortons, Triumphs and Royal Enfields. There are three anniversary celebrations at this fair this year. The MGB  will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and the MGR V8 will be celebrating its 20th, These cars will be in a reserved area in the ornamental Park. The pre-war MG Midgets will be on display in the Chateau grounds. All other MGs will fill the ornamental Park. The LOTUS Elans will be celebrating their 50th anniversary and will be displayed on the Quay Igor Stravinsky.  Motorbikes will be grouped together on the quay next to the Port. The first two readers who email cnp@bluewin.ch (please title your email "Classic Car Show") will be sent two invitations each to join the Lloyds TSB stand for canapés and refreshments on the double decker bus at the fair.

There are two amateur dramatic productions on the agenda for the month of May and both will be performed in this area.  The first is the musical comedy "The Producers" (music and lyrics by Mel Brooks).  This will be performed in English at the Nyon Marens theatre by The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society from the 13th to 21st May. On Friday 13 and Saturday 14 performances will be at 20:00, Sunday 15 May at 19:00, Thursday 19, Friday 20 and Saturday 21 at 20:00. Telephone bookings are now open on 022 341 51 90  from 10:30 -12:30 (Mon- Fri) or go to the GAOS website for more details. If you are new to the area, why not go along as these productions usually attract a big crowd and there's a bar at the theatre where you can mingle and meet other expatriates.   Here is a synopsis of the plot. Max Bialystock, Broadway show producer, has just staged another flop and is despondentdespondent. Along comes accountant Leo Bloom and, on musing with him, Max hits on the way back to fame and fortune: Stage a flop and run off with the money! Well, that's the plan. They choose what has to be the world's most tasteless play: "Springtime for Hitler". Max raises the money by cajoling his Little Old Lady groupies (aka: financial backers). With Leo as his assistant and the gorgeous sexy Ulla as their office help, Max holds auditions and hires the worst actors. Together, they appoint a truly hopeless director and the awful show opens! What could possibly go wrong? But horror of horrors, it's a HIT! Come and see what improbable happenings ensue with this loveable trio and their bunch of incredible friends. La  Belle et la Bête in Divonne The second production is  over the border in Divonne by and this will be the pantomime  "La Belle et la Bête"  which will be performed in "Franglais" on the 16th, 17th and 18th May at the Esplanade in Divonne  For tickets details go the theatrefranglais website

Ticket opportunity-  Don't let the sun go down on you....... A reader has contacted Living in Nyon to say she has two spare tickets for the Elton John and Ray Cooper concert on Thursday 3rd February at Geneva Arena. Original price CHF 150 per ticket. Make her an offer! For more details please contact  celiamarsh@gmail.com

This weekend, the 12th and 13th September it is "Journées du Patrimoine" here in Switzerland (it's on the 19th and 20th in France) and there are lots of events going on here in Nyon and surrounding towns. These weekends have a national theme to them, this year it is "water", and events have been organised around this theme to encourage us to explore the cultural richness of the area. Entry to participating museums is free during this weekend. In the Musée du Léman there will be guided visits throughout the day the first beginning at 11:00 is entitled "The Rives of Nyon Lake, between nature and culture". Other themes and tours continue through the day at this museum. Also There will be short boat tours on the Nyolue (28 places on this boat) between Nyon and Prangins. They will leave on the hour at the port de plaisance between 10:00 and 12:00 and 14:00 and 17:00 and leave the port of Prangins on the half hour. UEFA (the headquarters of the European football union) will be opening its door to the public between 10:00 and 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday. Over in Prangins at the chateau (the National Museum of Switzerland) there will be a guided tour on Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 and 14:00 entitled "From the fountain to the glacial period, the multiple uses of water within the castle" There will also be a workshop organised for children aged 6-12 whereby they can build their own boats and float them on the water of the fountain in the kitchen garden. The castle lit up last year Over in Gland it will be possible to visit the hydro electric power station from 10:00 to 17:00 There will be commentary at 10:30 and 14:30 and up in Saint George it will be possible to visit the old windmill from 10:00 to 17:00 . These events above are just a small selection on offer around the area for the full listing see the official Nyon site . On Saturday at 18:00 at the plage of Nyon there will be a masked swim organised by the association of Les Bains des Tres Jetées. This association is aiming to preserve this part of the lake area and to keep activities going throughout the year, one of their plans is to set up temporary saunas to use down by the lake in the winter months. A great idea! This masked swim will be followed by a Pot Luck Supper and there will be an award for the best mask. Living in Nyon hopes to go to this event, (but they won't be swimming!) so maybe see you there! See previous post with photos on their New year swim! Finally, don't forget the classical concert coming up on Sunday at the Conservatoire. A perfect way to end the weekend (see side bar for more details)

Photo above: Commuters at Nyon railway station. Here's a round up of some of the local news taken from La Côte newspaper, plus a selection of local events coming up in the region. Don't forget there is a Living in Nyon English column published in La Côte newspaper every Friday. It is a light hearted look at living in this area from the viewpoint of an expatriate. News -  Wine from Perroy a winner. Demonstration against closure of Novartis on Saturday. Amphitheatre of Nyon stays under covers. CCTV cameras in Nyon. Head coach of Nyon Basket Ball Club resigns. Wine winner Jean Marie Roch from the vineyard "La Vaudoise de Quatre Vents"  in Perroy, a village just a few miles from Nyon, has won first prize in the best "chasselas wine" category in "The Grand Prix du Vin Suisse 2011" .  There are other winners from La Côte area on the winning list too! No to Novartis There will be a demonstration in the Rive-Est  area of Nyon at 10:30 on Saturday 12th November. This is to protest against the announced closure of the Novartis factory in Nyon, with the resulting loss of over 320 jobs for its staff and knock on effect on local businesses. Recent local council decisions  The Roman Amphitheatre of Nyon look set to stay under dust covers for the time being as there has yet to be a decision on its future due to budgetary and planning considerations. There will be CCTV cameras installed in the place de la Gare (South and North) and the Rue des Marchandises. Music/Culture   For children -  Puppet show  at the Usine a Gaz (Nyon's official music and cultural venue) "Les Trois Amis" by the "Les Bamboches"  theatre group next Wednesday 16th for children aged 4 upwards.  Ticket office opens at 14:30  Show at 15:00 For Adults - Also at the Usine  Saturday 12th November Music -  Bernie Constatin featuring the Mother Rockers Gang  (Rock).   Sat 19th November Grand Pianoramax Feat Black Cracker CH-USA and Dog Almond (future funk /jazz /spoken pop). Hear the Dog Almond track "What I hide" here  See Usine a Gaz for more info and booking and future concerts coming up. Photo above - Dog Almond Culture - Exhibition at the Chateau beginning 15th December through to 10 March 2012 - "Old posters and New porcelain".  New acquistions of the chateau;f posters of Nyon from the 1930s and Nyon porcelain. Vernissage the 14th December  17:00-19:00 Sport  There has beeen a surprise resignation by Jon Ferguson,the American Head Coach of  BBC Nyon  (the basket ball club of Nyon). La Côte reports that this his resignation is due to health reasons. Nyon TV Did you know that Nyon has its own TV station called NRTV?  Check it out here. The station carries programmes  and interviews with local businesses, artists and citizens. The programme " Texto" is useful to watch if you are learning French as it consists of a roving reporter asking local people the same question, you can play the answers back again again until you understand them!  Here's a programme from the 21st October. The question was "Do you have any advice as to how to keep warm in winter?" Texto du 21 octobre 2011 par nyonregiontv

As UB 40 closed their set with "Red Red Wine" on Friday night at Caribana, they rounded off an evening that was part of a vintage year of a festival. There was a variety of music on offer from the young and lively Tweek and Lovebugs , to the more mature but much appreciated UB 40 . Stress from Switzerland proved to be very popular, and the lesser known but interesting bands from other countries such as Nneka attracted good sized crowds. Then there were the fun bands with fizz such as Madcon etc. Some of Friday night's concerts introduced a political message to their songs. Nneka, originally from Nigeria explained that V.I.P in one of her songs meant "Vagabond in Power", referring to "some leaders of some countries". Stress brought political messages to the stage too while attracting a massive crowd. UB 40, having recently got on board the "Hope not Hate" campaign bus in the UK in the recent European elections, have often been involved in putting various political messages across, but Friday night was more about their music. Vintage the band they may be, but proof that all good things mature with age. I had previously seen UB 40 in Santiago in Chile over 19 years ago, that concert was a disappointment for various reasons, a little bitter, not a good year. Thankfully some years are better than others, the group have mellowed and this concert was was smoother and full of flavour. To savour it and sip it in the company of thousands of dancing others alongside Lake Geneva made the taste only that much sweeter. I understand that Saturday night was an equally successful night and the concert of Charlie Winston was "the one" to be at. Sunday was hot and sunny, perfect for all the children that went to Caribana Kids to climb on the walls, jump on the bouncy castle and listen to their own concert by Gaetan . No political message here, just songs about hippopotami and elephants. A fun day rounding off a a vintage year, no doubt laid down in many memories for years to come. Check out the photos below and more in the Smilebox feature. Press play and wait a few seconds for them to load.

Raclette Evenings - Friday 12th and Friday 26th Feb at 19:00  Raclette à gogo (as much as you can eat!) evenings in the cave/cellar of Nyon castle CHF 35 per person. Includes a plate of charcuterie meat and fruit salad Doors open at 17:00 Reservations advised i nfo@caveaudenyon.ch Monday Movie in English 14th February - 20:45 at the Capitole Cinema in Nyon 45 years starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay   Just one week until Kate and Geoff's forty-fifth wedding anniversary and the planning for the party is going ahead. But then a letter arrives for Geoff. The body of his first love has been discovered, frozen and preserved in the icy glaciers of the Swiss Alps. Geoff is shaken by this sudden reminder of lost love, and the news affects Kate even more deeply. See trailer below. Music  At the Parenthèse in Nyon Saturday 13th February at 22:00 -  The Rebels Of Tijuana and Trumpets of Consciousness   See video below Photography Exhibition 14th February at 14:30 - Guided visit of the photography exhibition "Miroirs d'eau" by Olivier Robert at the Musée du Léman. For Olivier Robert, photographing a lake takes time. He photographs days of fog or rain when the sky and water merge, and favours long exposures.

Photo above: This year Elastique Citrique, the Nyon circus school worked with Visions du Réel to provide entertainment for both film goers and the public. Visions du Réel 2012 ended with a closing ceremony at the Théatre de Marens on Friday night with film makers stepping up to the podium to receive prizes in the various categories of film at this year's festival -see full list below. There was a particularly emotional speech from  Marc Schmidt, the director of  "Matthew's Laws"  and winner of the Grand Prix La Poste Suisse CHF 20,000 due to the fact that the protaganist featured in the film suffered from autism and was unable to be there that night.   Claude Rey, president of Visions du Réel announced that this year the festival had surpassed its objective in terms of artistic content and the organisers were extremely happy with the attendance figures.  The festival drew 790 participants from 68 countries - an increase compared to 2011.   With  yet more screenings on Saturday 28th April in the Salle Communale in Nyon, the numbers of total film goers ath festival this year is expected to reach approximately 25, 000.  Here is a selection of the winning films that will be shown tomorrow at the Salle Communale 14:00 . Nos jours, absolument, doivent être illuminés by Jean-Gabriel Périot France - Le Gosse de Louise Jaillette, France 16:00. Schildkrötenwut / The Turtles's Rage by Pary El-Qalqili 20:00  Hiver Nomade by Manuel von Stürler 22:00  De Regels von Matthijs / Matthew's Laws by Marc Schmidt, Netherlands  If you have been reading the reviews on this site over the past few days you will notice that the reviewers didn't mention any of the winning films as they didn't see them!  Therefore the winners below don't appear in the reviewers list of favourites ( see previous post ). No matter, it was an enriching festival for all. Until next year! Next year's festival will be held from 19 to 26 April, 2013.  Prizes awarded The Jury of the International Competition for the category "Feature films" awards the  Grand Prix Swiss Post for the best feature film  CHF 20,000 to DE REGELS VAN MATTHIJS (MATTHEW’S LAWS) by Marc Schmidt, Netherlands The Jury's view - "With love and courage the filmmaker places us face to face with his childhood friend. This film crosses a border into the unknown and mysterious world of autism. Matthew’s Rules gives us the opportunity to experience friendship and self-determination in the face of society’s demands from a unique point of view". The  Special Prize Swiss Post for the most innovative Feature Film, CHF 10,000 to : KOVASIKAJUTTU (THE PUNK SYNDROME ) by J-P Passi and Jukka Kärikkäinen, Finland The Jury's view - "Full of warmth and humour The Punk Syndrome is an entertaining and challenging celebration of life’s pleasures. This is not only a generous encounter with people traditionally placed at society’s margins it is also a work of rigorous and inspired filmmaking. Special mention to : 900 DAGEN (900 DAYS) by Jessica Gorter, Netherlands "900 Dagen unveils an episode of history from the perspective of everyday people who lived it. The filmmaker creates surprising connections between horror and humanity". The Jury of the international competition for the Medium Length and Short Films categories awards the  Prize George Foundation for the best medium length film, CHF 10,000 to : LE GOSSE (THE KID) by Louise Jaillette, France The jury said "The filmmaker found a remarkable subject, a boy between childhood and adolescence in rural France. Her approach is realistic and sensitive, full of clarity, curiosity and honesty". The Special Prize George Foundation for the most innovating medium length film, CHF 5'000 to : L’ÂGE ADULTE (ADULTHOOD) de Eve Duchemin, Belgique/France "Two young adults feel the pressure of contemporary life against their own aspirations. The filmmaker finds dignity and beauty in lives lived against the grain of harsh economic times". The  Prize Swiss Mobiliar for the best short film, 5'000 CHF to : NOS JOURS, ABSOLUMENT, DOIVENT ÊTRE ILLUMINÉS by Jean-Gabriel Périot, France Special Prize Swiss Mobiliar for the most innovating short film, CHF 2'500 to : ENKEL DER GESCHICHTE (SPINACH AND SUGAR) by Laura Laabs, Germany "A young filmmaker makes a film about her grandmother. While a common type of project, in this case it’s done with playfulness, self-awareness and wit, that provides a refreshing approach to memory and German historical reflection". Special mention to : 3 DNI WOLNOSCI (3 DAYS OF FREEDOM) by Lukasz Borowski, Poland "A profound meditation on personal freedom and its loss". The Cinéma Suisse jury, awards the  Great Prize SSA/Suissimage for the best Swiss feature film (all sections), CHF 15'000 to: HIVER NOMADE by Manuel von Stürler, Switzerland The jury awards the best prize to HIVER NOMADE - for revealing through this engaging journey the impressive touch of his director, who is able to exploit the cinematographic potential of the film’s two main characters and of their incredible chemistry. These contemporary nomads live an adventure out of time, but still deeply rooted in our present. The director of this first feature documentary creates through the power of his photography, the subtleness of the editing and the use of music, a magic of simplicity. Special prize of the Jury – SRG SSR for the most innovating Swiss feature film (all sections), CHF 10'000 to : AMORE CARNE by Pippo Delbono, Italy/Switzerland Special mention to : WHERE THE CONDORS FLY by Carlos Klein, Switzerland/Germany/Chili The jury gives a special mention for this humorous, daring, moving, original documentary. For reflecting on the art of filmmaking and creation – not only through mind and brain, but rather also through physical force, instinct and intuition; for celebrating life and its wonder the jury decided to salute this film and give it a special commendation. The Regard Neuf Jury, Prize Regard Neuf of the Canton of Vaud for a first feature film of the International Competition, Helvétiques or État d’esprit section, CHF 10'000 to : SCHILDKRÖTENWUT (THE TURTLE’S RAGE) by Pary El-Qalquili, Germany Public, award the prize of the Young Public and Société des Hôteliers de la Côte for the best film in the First Step section, CHF 3’000 to : AFTER by Lukasz Konopa, United Kingdom Lukasz Konopa, is awarded this prize for the originality with which it goes into a subject used so many times. Through a coherent form, the filmmaker succeeds in making coexist in his shots both the objects of a painful memory and their ‘mise en scène’ ready to be consumed. With the help of a subtle irony, this ambiguity questions the role and preservation of places of memory within our society. And the C-Side Postproduction Prize for the best Swiss film of the First Step Section, worth CHF 5'000 to : MAN HASTAM (J’EXISTE – I AM) by Tara Parsa, Switzerland The Interreligious Jury, Prize of the Interreligious Jury for a feature film in the International Competition that sheds light on issues dealing with meaning and sense of direction of life, CHF 5'000 to : 900 DAGEN (900 DAYS) by Jessica Gorter, Netherlands Special mention to : DE REGELS VAN MATTHIJS (MATTHEW’S LAWS) by Marc Schmidt, Netherlands The Buyens-Chagoll Prize Jury, awards the Award Buyen s-Chagoll for a film of humanist dimension focusing on stories developing values that confer  meaning to the future of mankind, CHF 5'000 to : SNAKE DANCE by Manu Riche and Patrick Marnham, Belgium/Irland/Netherlands Audience Award of the City of Nyon for the best film of État d’Esprit section, CHF 10'000 to : LA VIERGE, LES COPTES ET MOI by Namir Abdel Messeh, France