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Geneva Writers' Group launches new anthology and starts new season. World Writing from Geneva, Nyon, Gland, neighbouring France and beyond The thirteenth volume of Offshoots , the biennial literary anthology of the Geneva Writers’ Group, was recently launched at Webster University. With 54 contributors from some 20 countries on six continents, this volume celebrates the rich diversity of human experience. Apart from Geneva, many of the writers live in Nyon, Gland and neighbouring France. This new volume is enriched with full-page black-and-white photographs and contains stories and poems offer a captivating voyage around the world. Says Editor-in-Chief Caroline Thonger: "The writing in this volume comes from the global meeting place that is Geneva.  From a story set in Darjeeling, another under Kilmanjaro and a third of a wedding in the Vaud region, we are giving our readers a glimpse into the astonishing variety of backgrounds and writing experience of our contributors." Photo above - Caroline Thonger, Editor-in-Chief of Offshoots 13  Autumn marks the start of the new season of monthly workshops organised by the Geneva Writers' Group, which runs from September through to June. For those interested in writing, and finding out more about the group, check out the website  below . Workshops vary in topic from Flash Fiction to Performance Poetry, to Travel Writing and getting published online Photo below - The Geneva Writers' Group in conference. Offshoots 13  can be ordered through Payot a nd at BooksBooksBooks  in Lausanne, Email: info@genevawritersgroup.org Website - Click here   Photo of Caroline Thonger by C. Nelson-Pollard.

On Sunday the 3rd January from 11:00 a.m there will be the official opening of the sauna (down by La Plage) this is organised by the association of " les bains de trois jetees". There was an event at the same place last year to get the project going. The swimmers braved the cold water of the lake, there was mulled wine available and a great atmosphere too! Read and see all the photos from last year here Also, check out their site for opening times of the buvette the weekend bar/café with a view of the lake.

Caribana , the first of the summer festivals kicks off from 10-14 June down by the lake in Crans sur-Celigny next to Nyon. New on the agenda for this year is a third stage called the "beach stage" with more singers and more bands. Many of these were winners in the Caribana contest to help promote new and upcoming bands. Sunday is especially a day for children and families with many activities planned and it's free entry on that day! See below The line up for the festival is: Wednesday Main stage - Lovebugs , ZZ Top , Lake Stage - Duff Mckagan's Loaded Beach stage - Kris Dane Thursday Main stage - Editors , Travis , Chris Cornell Lake stage - Poni Hoax, Wipe Out, Full Blast Beach stage - Fink , Fuse Factory Friday Main stage - Dub Inc, Madcon, Stress, UB 40 Lake stage - Junior Tshaka and Didier Awadi, Nneka, Tweek* Beach stage - Hindi Zahra, Projects Saturday Main stage - Dan Black, Katy Perry, Charlie Winston, Thomas Dutronc Lake stage - Yoav, Victoria14, Dorian Gray Beach stage - Licia Cherry, Krystle Warren, Krash on Earth Sunday Caribakids - Gates open at 12.00 and activities start at 13:00 until 18:00 Most of these activities are suitable for children 2-3 years upwards. Events include "Gaetan" - Children's singer songwriter, "Les Halluciments" musical group, disco for children at the surf bar, demonstration by rescue dogs, face painting workshops, bouncy castle, climbing wall, massive soft construction game on the big stage and lots more. At 17:30 it will all come to an end with a massive release of balloons into the air. More details, tickets etc on the Caribana website

The students of the Conservatoire of Nyon will be performing "The Music Box" next week in various locations across Vaud including a performance in Prangins at the Salle des Morettes on Thursday 10th December at 17:00. This project which has been in rehearsal for many months is open to all the public. There will be a children's choir and pupils playing instruments. See the site for a full explanation of the performance (in French) for the different locations and for reservations. Photo above The Music Box - End of year production at the Conservatoire On Wednesday the association of the Route de Vignoble, launched an Eshop for the winemakers and artisans along the route to sell local produce online. The site is in English but at the moment deliveries are only made within Switzerland. A great idea for Christmas shopping to enable you to buy locally produced goods and have them delivered to your doorstop.There are hampers which you can make up yourself, gift vouchers, recipes, you can even order a dinner with friends! See the E- Shop for full details

There is always a particular flavour to the moment the gates open on the first day of the festival. The fact that this year marks the 40th edition of Paléo made it an even more important moment, and the people milling behind the gates, waiting for them to open felt like they were part of some historic moment. Coming back on to the grounds for the first time after a whole year, a bit like greeting an old friend, curious of what has changed, or not, glancing over the dry grass and then going off to find some shade and a beer to cool down. Those are an important part of the year for many a person in the region, for who - as you can hear Rossellat saying in an archive from the 80's or 90's- Paléo is a fixed event as surely as Easter or Christmas. So there they were, the true, hardcore fans, who had come up more than an hour before the first concert would start, simply to be one of the first people to tread on the grounds. First of the festival-goers, that is, for a couple hundred volunteers have been busy building this ephemeral city over the past few weeks, and most of the nearly 5000 volunteers who work here during the week had already started working by then. Nevertheless, it was with gusto that the people waiting at the gates took up the traditional count-down before surging towards the ticket-controllers. Some of these were apparently Robbie Williams fans ( you can read more about his concert in the other Living In Nyon review for last night here on the site ), so dedicated that they went straight to the main stage and braved the very hot weather for the next five or six hours! When you're a fan, you don't count, and it would have been indeed hard to count the number of people who gathered to watch his concert later on in the evening. Also hard to imagine the amount of bruising those pour souls must have undergone during the Caravan Palace concert, earlier in the evening on the main stage (in this reviewer's humble opinion, a concert which had the punch to kick-off this 40th festival with way more style and energy than Mr. Williams). Indeed, the crowd right in front of the stage partook in some pretty violent pogoing. But the very very first audience to the very first concert of this year's festival where the people who had found their way to La Ruche, the area dedicated to street theatre, situated at the very far end of the festival, after the Quartier des Alpes (you know, the area that smells very strongly of cheese). La Comédie Musicale Improvisée de Rue (the improvised musical, street version) showed of their talent for improvising a 20-minute musical based on an idea from the audience. This is obviously a show for a French-speaking audience, but if your French is good enough, make sure you don't miss them, as their capacity of improvising songs that actually feel like they came from a musical, as well as their hilarious sense of humour makes for a great start to the day (they perform each day at about 17:30, and obviously do a completely new show each time!) Also at La Ruche, the Cie Lucamoros present a breathtakingly beautiful show of music and live-painting. Six musician/painters on a piece of scaffolding paint on big Plexiglas boards to the sound of music (accordion, cello, saxophone) and poetry in different languages. Works of art appear magically under your eyes, transforming as they play with the paint, sometimes even projecting animated images over the paintings. A poetic and fragile experience worth the while, like a breath of fresh air and calm in the midst of the glaring sun and blaring music. Backtracking a bit, the first "real" concert was also the first of this band's goodbye tour. Explosion de Caca ,  the very delicately named band (I won't be translating that) with their very subtle and delicate music had prepared a truly memorable show, a perfect start to the festival and to their last tour. This band, which has developed quite a cult reputation over their existence (they have played on and off for over 17 years) are famous for their absurd costumes and noisy covers of themes from children's television shows. Their concert included two barbers giving free hair-cuts to whoever was brave enough to climb onto the stage (special mention to the young metal fan who had the guts to have his long black hair cut right off!), parkour athletes doing some pretty impressive tricks including a sideways somersault from the stage into the middle of the crowd, kids dressed as princesses and superheroes with water-pistols and last but not least, the legendary Henri Des. For those who do not know who Henri Des is, he is the most famous children's singer, with all of his songs known off by heart by any kid who grew up in the past 30 years. He is also the father of one of the two band members. He came on stage to the delight of the crowd for a very noisy version of " La petite Charlotte " one of his biggest hits. A concert bringing together children favourites, rather weird and edgy behaviour, people doing crazy things and a lot of energy: isn't that a perfect summary of Paléo Festival? Monday night also featured some really top-class music, from Franco-Japanese flautist and singer Maia Barouh , and her mix of electro-pop and traditional ritualistic music under the Dôme (the best place to discover unknown but very talented musicians) to Too Many Zooz and their raunchy balkan-beat flavoured jazz. The trio, who first stared playing in the New York metro, create a mix of jazz and music that sounds like techno but using only a trumpet, a bass saxophone and a drum-kit. A mix of virtuoso performance and explosive beats. The night ended with Gramatik who turned the Arches into a huge open-air club- as has become the tradition at Paléo- with their special brand of electro mixed with live music. From swing to dubstep, they got everybody shaking their bodies in rhythm under the starry night sky. All in all, a perfect start to the week, that can only leave us wanting for more, as we prepare to continue exploring the jungle of music, people, heat and food that is Paléo Festival.

There is a busy weekend coming up in Nyon with lots of events on the agenda.   Also, please note (re previous post) there will be NO English column in La Côte newspaper this Friday due to space restrictions. Here's an advance notice that on Monday 6th June at 20:00 there will be a special screening of the documentary "Cleveland against Wall Street" at Nyon Capitole Cinema. This docu-fiction is in English. The director of Visions du Réel film festival will be  present at the screening and will be speaking to the director Jean Stephan Bron (from Lausanne) about the making of the movie.  The film's storyline is about the victims of the subprime crisis in the U.S who fight it out with bankers in a court case. This film has been very successful in Switzerland and audiences have turned out in big numbers.  The cinema in Nyon is now linking up with Vision du Réel to show documentaries throughout the year and not just over the festival period. BBQ Championships in Nyon Also in June, the Swiss Barbecue Championships will take place by the lake on the 4th and 5th. If you fancy entering this competition here is some info from their website.  "You love to barbecue; you enjoy cooking and spending a great moment with family and friends. You grill to perfection and your marinades and sauces are delicious. If that’s you and you think you have what it takes to be the next King or Queen of the BBQ, then get yourself a team together and join us for the 2011 BBQ Competition.   Here is the website with all the info in English  Deadline for Inscriptions 30 May 2011 Events this weekend Spring fair and Interculturelle On Saturday 29 May there will be the Spring fair in Nyon with stands selling all manner of products. Also on Saturday and Sunday it's the weekend of the "Interculturelle" -  an opportunity for the different nationalities of Nyon to get together for various events.  The celebrations begin from 18:30 onwards on Saturday in the Salle Communale with a potluck meal called " Tastes from Here and There".  Bring a dish of food from your country to share to this event!  At 21:00 there will be Fado singing from Lisbon and at 22:30, dancing to popular Portugese music. On Sunday 29 May, the activities of the Interculturelle move on to the Place des Fête in the Rive. From 11:30 there will be traditional dancing, culinary food from around the world and various stands from the various associations of Nyon. See here for full details Maisons des Enfants 20th anniversary Also this weekend on Saturday La Maisons des Enfants will begin celebrating their 20th anniversary with a "Children's Day". From 14:00 - 17:00 there will be workshops for children given by the l'Elastique Citrique, (the acrobatic school in Nyon). From 17:00 there will be a "verre de l'amitie" and music on offer. La Maisons des Enfants is a charitable institution and helps support working parents on a low income by offering free after school care. La Maisons des Enfants can be found at 5 Chemins des Eules in Nyon and the maison is near the railway crossing. Flea Market on Sunday   On Sunday it's the flea market down by the Rive in Nyon. Music  - At the Parenthese on Friday at 22:00 - the group Arther will be performing.    A reminder that there will be Gospel Singing Workshop reminder on the  29th May in Dullier organised by Le Café Vivant.  Details below. Ce petit mot pour vous rappeler notre programme d’ateliers Gospel ce dimanche 29 mai comme suit :  Location / Lieu : Salle du Cèdre, Route de Genolier 17 – 1266 DUILLIER (close to Nyon). Contact : Concetta Avolio – 079 277 86 36  13h15 Welcome of the 1st Gospel choir of international & local Kids / Accueil du 1 er choeur Gospel des enfants internationaux et locaux 13h30-14h30 GOSPEL workshop for Kids (7 to 14) / GOSPEL atelier enfants (7 à 14 ans) 14h30 Welcome drink of Gospel international & local adults / Accueil des adultes 15h-18h GOSPEL workshop for adults (as of 15) / GOSPEL atelier pour adultes (dès 15 ans)  17h30 Family & friends are invited to come and listen to our end of workshop, Salle du Cèdre offers a nice concert hall with an audience area. Don’t hesitate to come ! Famille et amis sont invites à venir nous écouter durant la dernière demi-heure de l’atelier, c’est une belle salle de concert qui offre un espace au public. N’hésitez pas à venir !

Caribana has announced the line up for this year's festival which will take place along the lakeside near Crans près Celigny from the 3rd to 7th June 2015.   Among other artists scheduled to play at this summer festival are Swedish band "The Cardigans", see video below of their 1998 hit "My Favourite Game" from their album Gran Turismo. Photo above - The Cardigans, courtesy Caribana Also on the programme are Kill it Kid, Marilyn Manson, Metronomy, Ben l'Oncle Soul, see video below of track "Hallelujah!" and Austrian band Parov Stelar with a mix of pop, soul, jazz and swing. See video below with their track "Jimmy's Gang".   Full line up here. Photo above - Parov Stelar Band, courtesy Caribana Tickets now for sale. Note: There are early bird prices on offer for Feb/ March and in April/ May. Let's hope the weather is warm and cardigans won't be needed to watch The Cardigans!   More on Caribana and the other bands coming up on this site. The Cardigans - "My Favourite Game" Parov Stelar - "Jimmy's Game" Ben l'Oncle Soul - "Hallelujah!"

Paléo kicked off with a bang and a squelch on Tuesday, with a variety of incredible bands. The right amount of mud, but thankfully without the rain that had been forecast made for the perfect Paléo atmosphere. People slipped and skidded through the mud, or picked their way carefully across the grounds, trying to stay away from the muck thanks to the large quantities of straw that had been laid down on the ground. Everyone was able to rediscover the Festival, and some minor changes to the some of the stages, especially the Arches, whose tiered seating has been pushed to one side of the stage at an angle, leaving more room for the people who wanted to come and dance to the light rock of Girls in Hawai, the provocative and explosive Anglo-Tamil hip-hop artist M.I.A, or Gesaffelstein's dark and compulsive beats. The first stop in the musical marathon that is a night at Paléo was Doomenfels under the Club Tent. Juggling between light, folky guitar riffs, and heavier pieces creates the perfect dense atmosphere under the tent (one of my favourite stages), as it is small enough to be intimate - the Swiss-German formation gave a musical performance that set the tone for most of the night: a continuous stream of very talented artists. But such is the fate of the musically curious at Paléo, and it before the concert finished, it was time to make my way through the mud and (increasingly muddy) crowd to catch the first few songs of belgian pop-rock band Girls in Hawaii a regular band at Paléo, before traipsing towards the Village du Monde and it's stage, le Dôme.  Alcohol prevention can be fun! Stopping on my way to there at the Blue Cross' alcohol prevention stall, I got to do a "drunk-simulation" obstacle course wearing blurred googles, the final test being trying to fit the key in your front door's lock. I managed rather easily - should that worry me? Anyway, their stall, situated to the right of the Ferris wheel, is full of fun facts and puns on alcohol consumption, bringing a message of prevention without being patronising about it, which is definitely much more enjoyable. Latino Madness La Chiva Gantiva was playing under the Dôme. Created by three Columbian percussionists when they moved to Brussels, the band mixes cumbia rhythms and grooves with more contemporary styles. Destroying stereotypes with every burst of saxophone and ever drum solo, their joyous energy was contagious, and people gradually flocked towards the stage to dance to their warm and crazy music. The musicians danced and bounced across the stage, emulated by the crowd, who quickly found it impossible to stay still in front of such an explosion of sound. The wind section (a sax and a clarinet player) entertained the crowd with their wacky dancing when they weren't showing off their skills, the guitar player bluffed every one with his high-voltage performance, whether on the electric guitar or on a special Columbian ten-stringed guitar. My drummer friend also made me aware of the impressive skills of the drummer, making for a top-notch musical experience. I suppose the best part of all this is that La Chiva Gantiva will be playing again tonight (ie Wednesday night) at 20:00 , for a second serving of musical madness. As Bastian Baker started playing in the distance on the main stage, we decided it was time to have a bite to eat, before heading down to fetch a bottle of mead from the Ruche (where you can also find some really good honey-flavored beer) and then back up to the Dôme, for round two of Latin American musical discoveries. This time for the psychedelic tunes of Meridian Brothers , a project of Columbian musical virtuoso Eblis Alvarez. Joined on stage by a very talented drummer (kudos my friend, again), a clarinet-cum-keyboard player, and a guy behind a computer, Alvarez displayed his musical genius in a series of complex musical explorations. Relying heavily on modified sounds- the clarinet sounded like a video-game console!- the psychedelic songs were intricate creations. Meridian Brothers will also be playing again on Wednesday, at 17:15 under the Dôme, and in a more intimate setting at 21:15 at L'Escale, a small stage at the far end of the Village du Monde. It might be starting to look obvious that I have a certain affinity with the line-up of the Dôme, and this where I was for the next band. Karamelo Santo are a ten-piece ska/cumbia/punk band from Mendoza, and got some fame from touring with Manu Chao in the 2000's. Definitely one of the highlights of the evening, their concert was a cocktail of sun, groovy rhythms and explosive brass sonorities. The area in front of the stage quickly became a dance-floor where the more enthusiastic of the crowd joyfully bounced of each other in a chaos of jumping, dancing and general good mood. Unlike some concerts, where the pushing and shoving can get a bit nasty, everything went on really well, people picking each other up whenever someone slipped, giving them a pat on the shoulder and a grin before getting back to the dancing. The fresh evening air was most welcome after the concert, and we left the Dôme exhausted but happy. Cult Rock and Electro vibes Watching cult rock band The Black Keys from the back of the crowd was the perfect way of getting some energy back, the band pleasing the huge crowd massed in front of the main stage with their own strain of rock (even though my friend told me that the drummer wasn't very good). Half way through the great concert, it was time to go and move our bodies to the trance-inducing rhythms of A Tribe Called Red , a trio of Native American beat makers from Canada, who mix electro with traditional drums and chanting. Accompanied on stage by a traditional dancer, who mesmerized the crowd with his hoola hoop skills, the trio have taken it on themselves to break the stereotypes associated to their culture, and do a hell of a job doing so. Last but not least, Gesaffelstein finally got to send l'Asse dancing to end this first evening, after his set was cancelled last year due to the huge storm that blasted through Neil Young's concert . A year later, he was back to do what he couldn't do last year, and the crowd went crazy in front of Les Arches, finishing an great first night for the festival. For all of you who don't have the chance to have a ticket to Paléo, the Festival has organised live streaming for some of the concerts taking place through the week. You can find the schedule here. Some full concerts are also archived on the site, here , alongside highlights of each night.

There couldn't be a greater contrast between the noise and frenzied excitement of a football match, to the calm and peaceful atmosphere within the walls of the UEFA building here in Nyon. In a long sleek building, an interior that is all light and glass, with smooth wooden and marble floors all in clean lines and all overlooking Montblanc and the lakeside, it seems hard to imagine how any work is ever done within the hallowed walls. Surely it would be tempting to spend all day staring at the view or simply listening to the lake's waters lapping around the shores of the building. Yet despite the tantalising view, behind the quiet facade lies a huge working busy organisation: UEFA -The Union of European Football Associations. With 236,000 clubs, 329,000 referees and 1,600 games all to be looked after, there's a lot to be managed and supervised and decisions to be made on all things football related. Home to approximately 243 employees, half of them Swiss, (the other half 24+ different nationalities), they all come to work in what must be one of the most stunning settings to earn a daily living. Yesterday a guided tour of the building was given by Mr Jean-Paul Turrian (UEFA presidential advisor) to a group of interested individuals who had come via the Université Populaire (more on this association below). After a brief introduction to the reception area, the group was led to the auditorium where Mr Turrian welcomed the group on behalf of Michel Platini (the current president of UEFA). Then came a presentation beginning with the history of how the association came to be in Nyon in the first place, (after starting in Paris then onto Berne then a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between Zurich and Geneva) a decision was made to create a permanent European headquarters. Nyon close to transport links, and other Swiss and European cities, was chosen as an ideal place to house the headquarters. A beautiful building for the beautiful game A competition was then launched to design the building, and here we saw the buildings that didn't make it, one of them two towering skyscrapers, the other a hideous, heavy shape, a far cry from the design that won. The present building (10 years old this week) is laid out on three levels, a structure that doesn't dominate the skyline but makes the most of the surrounding gorgeous scenery. The structure is designed so that are there are no pillars blocking out the light on each level, the aim of the design is to symbolise transparence. "We have nothing to hide here". After a brief explanation of the organigram of UEFA along came various statistics along with details on how UEFA is funded, television rights, the income that these bring along with ticket sales, hospitality packages and other sources of revenue. Apart from the top matches and well known cups such as the Champions League, and the UEFA Europa League there are others that don't always get as much publicity ( see site for full listing ). UEFA also encourages football at grassroots level and helps in developing countries in Eastern Europe and Africa this was followed by a short film on its support of football in the special Olympics. Within the building employees work across many departments, from those that deal with the harmonisation of match calendars, to those that work with the school of referees to the department dealing with anti-doping issues in football. There there's the section for female football matches (female football is becoming increasingly popular each year). The media department has over 30 employees alone working on alternative media and the UEFA internet site is even translated into Japanese as that country has many followers of European football. After the stats, fact and figures, the group were then shown a short film on the funny side of football: the goals missed by a mile, the fox running on to a pitch during a match, players attempting to play in mud and torrential rain, crying fans, tearful players, exasperated managers, players who didn't follow the fair play rule, players kissing other players in jubilation, balls accidentally hitting members of the crowd and one where the ref kicked the ball backwards. The film, shown in the large auditorium in the base of the building is an area is also used for those all important live match draws and can be linked up to satellite coverage within minutes. The auditorium After a short question and answer session, the tour then continued around the building via the staff restaurant (with a menu more akin to Michelin than motorway station). The court room where decisions are made if there is a dispute or incident in a match or if a team "was robbed". The group were then led on to the roof where they were then shown the progress of the work on the second UEFA building (called La Clairière) which is being constructed on the other side of the road, access will be through an interconnecting underground walk way. This building is due to be completed by 26th March 2010 and the keys officially handed over at 11:00 on that day. The construction firm will pay a penalty clause and be fined if there is any delay to the date. The new building continues with the same theme of light and transparence and has a design that takes environmental concerns into consideration. The windows will keep the building cool in summer, yet retain heat in winter. This circular building has also been planned to make the most of the view and the nature surrounding it. Other plans - This old house below (also an Uefa property) will be turned into an International Football museum. UEFA reception The tour ended where it began, in reception amongst all the European football trophies that are displayed within glass cases, including the coveted Euro Cup. Trophies that all footballers want to hold aloft one day and all fans want to see their team or country win. Some of us I fear will be waiting a long time (your Living in Nyon correspondent is English).... Further info. Université Populaire organises various tours and courses throughout the year such as an introduction to the history of music to storytelling. Courses are in French. From the UEFA website *UEFA is a representative democracy, comprised of 53 national football associations, and is itself recognised by FIFA as one of six continental federations. The organisation of the administration of football is based on a pyramid system of regulations, with FIFA the world governing body, UEFA the European governing body and national football associations the governing bodies at domestic level. Want to know more? The UEFA website has a frequently asked questions section.

A reminder to readers that the annual UNI Global Union debate is tonight the 3rd October from 1 8:00 until 21:00  at UNI Global Union  8-10 Avenue Reverdil  in Nyon. These debates are open to the public and usually attract a big crowd. This year's debate is on "Liberty and Security". Find out more about it in this video here (in English) Present at the debate will be Stéphane Benoît-Godet – Chief Editor of Bilan magazine, the key note speaker will be Pierre Maudet – Conseiller d’Etat de la République et du Canton de Genève, Martin Killias – from the institute of  criminology in  Zürich, Jean Zermatten – Institut International des Droits de l’Enfant, Olivier Guéniat – Commandant of la Police Jurassienne,  Elisabeth Ruey-Ray, Municipal in charge of security. The debate will be moderated by Olivier Dominik, journalist from RTS. You can read more about this organisation in a previous Living in Nyon interview with its head-  Philip Jennings. More info here on the debate

Local News New Post Office for Nyon  On the 12th September 2104 the post office in the centre of Nyon (at Place Bel -Air 5 ) will close its doors for the final time. The new office will open on Monday 15th September in Rue de la Morâche 9 in Nyon. Opening hours will remain the same. Monday-Friday 09:00-18:00 and Saturday 09:00-12:00. Proposal of increase in local taxes  The municipality of Nyon is proposing a 5 point rise in local taxes beginning 2015 to help finance Le Reposoir, a new primary school which will be situated to the north of the town. The school will accommodate 450 pupils, will have a large gymnasium and a new indoor swimming pool which will be open to the public. Estimated at around 70 million CHF, the school should be finished by 2017.   Nyon's current local tax rate of 61% is lower than other surrounding towns (Lausanne 79%, Renens 78.5% Morges 68.5% )  For more details of this potential tax hike, see article on the Nyontown site  here  Upcoming events The summer season of activities in Nyon is now coming to an end, (the outdoor pool will close on the 7th September), however there are lots of Autumn events on the local calendar to look forward to, from Autumn fairs, to sports, theatre, cultural and music events. Here are a selection, including the 1st La Côte Women's Fair in Nyon. There will be experts on hand at this fair to answer questions on education in Switzerland to expat parenting and more. More d etails below Saturday 30 August  Vintage Rock Night in Gland  featuring Australian band The Stiletto Groove . Time 19.30 at the Dinemec Recording Studios, Rue de la Paix 3, 1196 Gland. Tickets are CHF 20 and all proceeds will benefit  the charity Kids with a Cause Europe  . The band have toured with Santana, Bob Marley, Men at Work and many more top flight international performers. This venue has been the chosenrecording facility for Lenny Kravitz, Phil Collins, Jermaine Jackson and other artistsrecording facility for Lenny Kravitz, Phil Collins, Jermaine Jackson and other artists. 5th and 6th September -  Livre sur les Quais in Morges - English authors present. See previous post here for details. News!  Author Douglas Kennedy will be at the château of Nyon on Saturday 6th at 11:00 as part of the book festival weekend . Details  here  Also on Saturday the 6th September, it's the 1st La Côte Womens' Expat Fai r in Nyon at the Beau Rivage Hotel from 09:00 - 19:00. Speakers - International Education 15:00 – Denise Nickerson Along with exhibitors selling original or handmade products, there will also be opportunities to chat to experts including Denise Nickerson, an educational consultant who co-created the Education Guide Switzerland  Denise Nickerson will be sharing valuable advice for anyone wanting to know more about the education options in Switzerland. She'll give an overview of the French, Swiss, and international school systems and answer attendees' education questions.  E-mail your education questions in advance  to  lacotewomensfair@gmail.com Global Nomads 14:00 - Susanne Mühlhaus Susanne will be discussing what she calls ‘Modern Nomads’ and how those who come to Switzerland (or move to other countries) can integrate and build an independent existence with limited financial resources. Expat Parenting 16:00 – Rosalind Cutler Family Matters Coaching owner Rosalind Cutler is an experienced life coach who specialises in working with expat families. She will talk about transitions: new job, new country, new school, new identity and how expats can help themselves and  other members of the family prepare for, and cope with the many changes and challenges that expat life brings. Learning French 17:00 - Véronique Guillaume-Genti A language teacher from Etudes Modernes in Morges, Véronique will be sharing tips and advice on how to tackle the French language. If you have been here a while or are new to the region, don't miss this opportunity to gain confidence as you improve your French. On Sunday 14th September  it's "Heritage Day" - Journées du Patrimoine across the canton This year the theme is "A table" and there will be a special day at the Musée du Léman in Nyon on the evolution of fishing on Lake Geneva. The fishermens' huts in Nyon will be one of the focus points of this special day. See here for details Also on the 14th September, it's the new Semi-Marathon of La Côte .  This race will run from Aubonne to Nyon. See previous L iving in Nyon article about this race and our interview with Olympic athlete Lea Sprunger, the founder of this new lakeside race. On Saturday 27th September it's the La Côte Autumn Fair in Founex - Line Dancing, Jazz, BBQ, Stalls and more!   4th October - UEFA Open Day On Saturday the 4th October, UEFA will be holding an open day from 09:00-16:00 for the general public. This open day is a chance to see inside the building, to take part in competitions,  and see the exhibitions about the beautiful game.   Details  here