The Living Arts Festival (FAR°) is currently on in Nyon and continues until the 22nd August 2020. A production that might interest readers is Oh, Europa.For the past two years, Action Hero has been roaming Europe in a motor home converted into a recording studio. With every random encounter on the road, Gemma Paintin and James Stenhouse have given strangers the opportunity to perform love songs of their choice. After having travelled 46,000 km and crossing 33 countries, their collection includes songs in more than 46 languages. See video below. Last weekend they invited members of the public in Nyon to sing their own love songs! From 18 to 22 August you can listen to these songs and others in the collection at 20:00 on Radio Vostok or at 21:00 on Radio Reïdyo For more information on other performances and productions at FAR° - see website here. (info in English) There's a buvette/bar at the festival at 5 Rue des Marchandises, Nyon (opposite the entrance to the Salle Communale) It's open from noon until midnight, why not go along and check it, and the festival out? Photo above - © Paul Blakemore - courtesy FAR° festival. © Lukasz Michalak, Conde Duque -courtesy FAR° festival

If you are passing by the Musee du Léman on the lake side, take a look up at its windows! Exem the cartoonist, has painted in comic strip form, sixteen personalities/famous people whose life or work is linked to Lake Geneva. The full sized fresco is inside the museum itself. These sixteen personalities are writers, musicians and poets who have sung or written about the lake including Ritchie Blackmore , guitarist and one of the songwriters of "Smoke on the Water" (see video below). There are also painters and filmmakers who have sketched the lake and scientists and adventurers who have explored its depths. Ella Maillart is also on the fresco. On our sister site Living in Sion, we wrote about this writer and explorer and the lovely little museum high up in the Alps that is dedicated to her. It's definitely worth a visit! Here is the list of famous people on the fresco: Anna de Noailles (1876-1933) poet. Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878-1947) writer. Mary Shelley (1797-1851) writer. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) writer and philosopher. Rodolphe Töpffer (1799-1846) writer and cartoonist. Hergé́ (1907-1983) comic strip artist. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) painter. Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918) painter Elizabeth de Wittelsbach (1837-1898) empress of Austria. Ritchie Blackmore (*1945) guitarist. Jean-Luc Godard (*1930) filmmaker Ella Maillart (1903-1997) writer and traveller. Auguste Piccard (1884-1962) scientist and adventurer. Jacques Piccard (1922-2008) scientist and adventurer. Jean-Daniel Colladon (1802-1893) scientist. François-Alphonse Forel (1841-1912) scientist. Exem has been active in graphic design for almost forty years and is known for his comic strips, posters, press drawings and illustrations of all kinds. His work is full of political, cultural or architectural references.

What a fantastic month September is! The weather is perfect: not too hot, not too cold and it’s time to start afresh with a new cycle of activities or pick up the ones we love again. Whether you are looking for sports, arts, or social activities, the options vary vastly and information is scattered and sometimes difficult to find. For this reason, Living in Nyon will be providing you with our top 5 picks of the month with selected activities coming up in our region! 1. Lake Geneva cleanup – 3rd and 4th of October Join over 1’000 volunteers that will help to remove waste from the Lac Léman. During this weekend, different intervention zones are defined all around the lake and whether you are a scuba diver, a stand-up paddle user, or simply prefer to stay on strong grounds, you are welcome to subscribe and help with this effort. Get some more information here . Unfortunately, the site is only in French but it can be translated to English using Google. 2. Sarah McCoy at the Usine à Gaz – October 2nd Despite the Usine a Gaz being in full renovation, they are still organising concerts, shows and other activities in Nyon and the area. On the 2nd of October, American singer and songwriter Sarah McCoy will hold a concert in Nyon. Her voice has been compared to Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse. If you're looking for a nice and different evening out, this might be a good chance! More information on her can be found on her website , and to book a ticket through the Usine a Gaz website . Good to know: the Usine as Gaz has implemented a new logo to keep an eye on: "English Speaker Friendly", allowing for an easy selection depending on the language of your choice. 3. Swiss Classic British car meeting – October 3rd in Morges More than 1600 classic cars and motorcycles will be exposed on the docks of Morges. This is a great opportunity to spend a day discovering beautiful Morges and marveling at these classic masterpieces that will never go out of fashion. 4. Museum Pass valid for one year For the crazy price of CHF12.-, you will be able to enjoy 8 museums and visit castles in the area of Nyon during a full year. Feel the heritage and the culture through the various cultural activities included in this pass. Who said Switzerland was expensive? The list of museums and subscription is available here 5. Market in Gland – every Wednesday from 16:00 to 20:00 until the end of October  This easy-going market is the perfect place to spend some time after a hard-working day. It offers a variety of delicacies ranging from Moroccan or Vietnamese stands to the local fish or cheese stands. It also has tables where you can simply sit and enjoy food and drinks on the spot. And if the ambiance picks up, the Bulls Pub is next door for a drink or a burger and the Buffet de la gare located in Hotel Glanis to enjoy a nice dinner. Both places have live music on Wednesdays so be assured you'll have a good time.   Have a good time and don't hesitate to share your discoveries with us!

The Geneva Writer's Group brings together more than 200 English language writers from some 30 countries. Every two years the group holds a conference bringing editors, writers, instructors and agents to Geneva for a weekend of workshops, discussion and networking. This year, the conference will be held online from the 21st to 25th September. The goal is to bring together English-language writers for high-level instruction, support, and creating community through workshops, discussions, and readings. Conference instructors are experienced in teaching creative writing and committed to sharing their knowledge, skills, and perspectives on writing as an art and as a profession. Each session must be registered for individually, costs CHF 20 ,  and consists of a 60 minute workshop, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. After registration, you'll be sent a link to the Zoom meeting(s) for all your paid sessions. Past instructors have included authors Bernadine Evaristo (winner of the Booker Prize 2019), Pettina Gappah author of an "Elegy for Easterly (winner of the Guardian first book prize in 2009), British playwright Kwame Kwei Armah, writers living in Switzerland including Diccon Bewes, author of "Swiss Watching" and Susan Jane Gilman, author of "Donna Has Left the Building" There will be workshops on non-fiction, fiction, poetry, YA writing, publishing and more. For the the full conference line up, click here.

Ask your own questions about life in Switzerland. Win a free book of "The Expert Guide to your life in Switzerland"!  On Thursday November 5th at 19:00 there will be a live Youtube event with Diccon Bewes who will answer the twelve questions everyone who lives in Switzerland needs to know the answer to. Politics, history, culture, travel and much more.  Free books will be given away to live viewers as well as giving you the chance to ask Diccon your own questions.  Join the event at their Facebook page, or simply tune in by following this link.  Diccon Bewes is the author of "Swiss Watching", "Slow Train to Switzerland " and many other books about Switzerland.  He also writes a free monthly newsletter called the "Swiss Month".   In November's edition he comments on bad yodellers, the baking of a record breaking cake in Zug , and why a slip of the tongue by Donald Trump led to increased sales for a company in Lucerne.  Sign up here to find out more and to receive the free newsletter.

All the useful information about how to find and contact your embassy and who currently represents your country in one long list! With so many changes and instabilities around the world at the moment, it is always good to know where to find information and how to contact your own embassy. The list also includes the names of the current representatives such as ambassadors, honorary consuls and useful addresses and contact emails. You can access the information through the Swiss government website or directly see the full list here. The list will allow you to see the names of those currently in office, the introduction text is in French. Aside from the information potentially coming in shady one day, it's also nice to know who the people behind the institutions are.

In February 1971, Swiss women finally won the right to vote. In February 2021, a book entitled, "50 Amazing Swiss Women: True Stories You Need to Know About" will be published to mark this very special anniversary. The book (a children's book but interesting to everyone whether they are 8 or 80!), has been written by five women living in Switzerland and highlights the accomplishments of a diverse range of Swiss women. This book includes something for every child. Whether it be science or sociology, art or activism, children will discover women who have excelled in every field. The book features some of Switzerland’s best known women, such as *Ruth Dreifuss, the first female Swiss president, or prominent suffragette Emilie Gourd. It also introduces less-known extraordinary Swiss women such as motorcycle racer Margrit Rusterholz or stunt woman Petra Sprecher. There is currently a crowdfunding campaign to ensure the book is available in English, German, and French. There are various options on the page, from pre-ordering a book, to ordering a set for a classroom, or having your own business logo in the book. Click here to find out more about these 50 Amazing Swiss Women! *There is a fascinating, short BBC film with Ruth Dreifuss in which she talks about the long haul on getting political rights for women in Switzerland. Check out some of the comments from the men.... Click here See a short video presentation about the book from the authors themselves (in English, French, German and Swiss German)

Events, Politics and News in the Nyon area.  2020 has been an extraordinary year for local events in the Nyon and la Côte area. Many festivals, both large: Paléo , Caribana , Cully Jazz, Montreux Jazz etc and small (concerts at the Conservatoire  or the Parenthèse ) were either postponed or cancelled, and Nyon's vibrant music scene was just not the same as usual. We look forward to a brighter 2021. However, on a happier note, things are moving along at the Usine à Gaz, (Nyon's cultural and music centre). Take a look via this link here of the construction going on at this exciting performance space. Thankfully Visions du Réel, Nyon's prestigious documentary film festival, was able to go ahead this year, albeit in a different format, with an online version of the festival streaming films for members of the public to watch at home. See their "Flashback" video of this year's festival below (in French and English) As a reminder of better days, here are two videos of the best of both Paléo and Montreux Jazz in 2019 plus, a video of the Nyon New Year Swim in the lake which took place earlier this year. Here is the link  of the New Year Swim in January, (sadly the La Fête des Beigneurs has been cancelled for Jan 2021). Politics Next year could see changes on the local political scene as in March 2021 local elections will be held. Voters in Vaud will elect (by proportional representation) new council members, members of the municipality and a mayor for the next five years. We will keep you updated on the latest political developments nearer to the time. Keeping up with local and national news If you are keen to know what is happening locally on the news front, don't forget Nyon has its own local newspaper called La Côte , and its own local TV station called Nyon Region TV.   Nyon's tourist office is full of information on local events that are happening regularly in the town and Nyon council publishes its own "agenda" of events. Other useful resources for national news are Swissinfo (available in ten languages including English!) and RTS. Photo below, the moon as seen through the glass brick sculpture at the château of Nyon.

Dear Readers,Living in Nyon would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 2020 has been an extraordinary year (see previous post) in the Nyon calendar. There have been many challenging and tricky times for readers too. Who would have thought this time last year how different the world would seem in the space of twelve short months? Many of you may be spending this Christmas socially distanced from loved ones and family which will be very hard but hopefully, you can still have some kind of peaceful holiday period in some way. Living in Nyon is taking a short break from publishing articles and we will be back the first week of January 2021 with new info and stories to share with you. In the meantime, we would love to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our articles, commenting, liking, and sharing them through the different media channels. It's been a year of change for us too, but the enthusiasm and commitment to play our role in the English-speaking community in and around Nyon remains ever-present! Please do get in touch if you have any comments to share with us, we do appreciate feedback and constructive comments Wish all our festive wishes, Mandy, Catherine, Christian and Eden (The Living in Nyon team) Throwing away your Christmas trees and latest Anti-Corona measures A final bit of practical info for you all! Christmas trees will be collected in Nyon every Thursday in January along with the regular organic rubbish/trash. They must not be wrapped in plastic and must have no decorations left on them. See details of all local recycling guidelines in this pdf here and look out for the new 2021 version which is usually sent to all residents in the post (it's easy to miss amongst the Christmas cards and correspondence). Photo below - burning of the Christmas Trees in Gland (at the time of going to press we understand this event will not be going ahead in 2021). Latest Government Anti-Corona Rules - see here Photo above - the Château of Prangins lit up at night - copyright Mandy Bronsil

La Rippe is home to the "Deux Mille Feuilles" Montessori school. This multi-lingual school is located in the heart of nature and welcomes children between the ages of 3-12. Let's take a closer look at what the Montessori approach entails and its philosophy. Thank you to Cornelia Tosch one of the 2 directors of the Deux Mille Feuilles school for providing the article and the information! Maria Montessori opened her first classroom in Rome in 1907. She interpreted education as an “aid to life”. One that supports and enhances the process all children go through naturally. Interestingly, she puts the strongest emphasis on the first 3 years of a child's life. This is a period less valued in more traditional education systems. Read the full article on Maria Montessori on the school's blog , where you will find a host of articles on the subject of education. The Montessori education is more than just academics! The philosophy sees the child as a whole and intimately links his or her well-being to the intellectual nature. One does not prevail over the other. Children have a strong tendency to self-perfection and are happy to work continuously towards improvement. They like to be "intellectually honored" and when given challenges they aim wholeheartedly to meet these challenges. This allows them to gain confidence and it is through work that children get "inner peace". According to the philosophy, there are 2 age categories created in order to best cater to a child's development:Infancy: 3-6 year olds are stimulated to become independent and gain confidence "Help me to do it by myself."Childhood: 6-12 year olds are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills and curiosity “Help me to think by myself." Deux Mille Feuilles offers a stimulating and encouraging space for its students. Amongst other aspects, they provide: Mixed-age classrooms Uninterrupted work times of minimum 3 hours Experienced AMI trained Montessori Teachers and assistants Prepared Montessori classroom environments Bilingual French/English approach Full daycare and transport to and from Nyon Read more about the school in our previous Living in Nyon article here . Or get in touch with the director of the school Cornelia Tosch via email . She speaks fluent English, French and German and is happy to give you more information.

Guy Parmelin, the current president of the Swiss Confederation has announced that there will be "a moment of reflection" to pay homage to the victims of Covid-19. On Friday 5th March 2021 at midday, church bells will ring accompanied by a minute of silence, exactly one year after the first Covid death in Switzerland. Currently, more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in Switzerland due to the pandemic. Photos below - taken in Nyon, just one year ago. Photo in banner header, full moon over Nyon. April 8, 2020. The underpass in Nyon, the first of many festivals and concerts to be cancelled (annulé). Photo above - The entrance to Manor and the newly introduced, one-way system to the department store.

If you like singing and would love to sing in Handel's Messiah in 2022 then check out the Ensemble Choral de la Côte.  Rehearsals are currently on Zoom.  English speakers welcome! Details below.