On Thursday 1st June there will be a tour of Nyon given by a guide from the tourist office. No inscription needed, just turn up to the meeting place outside the castle. The tour begins at 17:30 and will last around 90 minutes. CHF 15 per person followed by a "verre d'amitié" - (a glass of wine!) For more info - call 022 365 66 00 Saturday 3rd June is "La journée du Velo" - Bicycle day, in Nyon. On the day it will be possible to try out electric bikes, there will be bike activities for children, free buses around town to encourage "mobilité douce" (sustainable ways of transport) and there will be a second-hand bike sale where you can buy or sell a bike. If you want to sell a bike, take it along from 09:00 onwards to the Park de la Morache (this is near the post office, behind the train station), the bikes will be assessed and a price will be fixed with the seller. Bikes in good condition are accepted: children's, men and women's bikes, VTT bikes and accessories (child seats for bikes) The sale will then be from 10:00 -12:00. From 11:30 - 12:00 monies can be collected for sold bikes (minus a 10% commission for the organisers) and unsold bikes will be returned. Also in the Park de la Morâche on Saturday from 08:30 - 13:00 there will be information stands from the department of environment, info on local bus passes, Mobility cars and tryouts of electric bikes. More info - click hereAlso on Saturday it's the Spring Market in Nyon. Stands with artisanal goods, concerts, bars, food stands and more in the centre of town.

The rain held off on Monday evening, and the sun lit up the French side of the lake as musicians from the U.S Caroga Lake Music Festival played to an appreciative audience in Nyon. The audience, who either sat on the grass or on the lake wall were treated to a mixed repertoire that drifted over the water and that lasted into the early evening. There is still time to catch one of these free concerts,see previous post with details here. Note: The Living in Nyon Facebook page has posted a few live videos of Monday night's event. Geoff Saunders, (photo below) one of the performers in the Monday night group, is a Grammy award winning bassist and can be seen on tour with the O'Connor Band. Geoff has recently played at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Geoff has spent the last few days exploring Nyon and enjoying the area.

The Living in the Know June podcast is now out. In this podcast, Lisa from Know-it-all passport recommends some scenic restaurants where you can eat on a budget in Geneva, whilst Catherine from Living in Nyon identifies three places in Vaud, which have great lake or mountain views. Lisa also shocks Catherine with her latest French expression! Tune in to find out why! Above - The Café/Restaurant at the Bains de Pâquis in Geneva This June podcast was recorded down by the lakeside in Morges and was sponsored by the International School of Lausanne. Above - La Barillette restaurant above Nyon

Thursday 25th May is Ascension and it is a national holiday in Switzerland. Many people will have chosen to take Friday off as a holiday to "faire le pont" ("to do the bridge"). This is a term which is used to describe an extra long weekend. Here are some ideas for activities over the next few days, from watching the Pirates of the Caribbean 5 film (in English) to family days out, to flea markets, visiting gardens and museums to rock and classical music concerts. Saturday 27 May - Vide Grenier in Rolle by the Château - 08:00 - 17:00 Sunday 28 May - Flea Market in Nyon by the lakeside - 08:00 - 18:30 6th May - 18 June - The gardens of Château de Vullierens. These gardens near Morges with their sculptures and magnificent display of irises are a great place for children to run around in lots of space, for the adults to admire the flowers and for everyone to stop and have a bit to eat in the Café des Jardins. Nyon - Don't forget Nyon has three museums to visit, the Château (see the prison cells on the top floor!), the Roman museum with its new exhibition and the Musée du Léman, (check out the submarine that used to operate in the lake as a commercial service!) Note - purchase of one museum ticket entitles you to entrance to all three museums. Swimming - The outdoor pool in Colovray is now open! Opening hours in May and June - 09:00 - 20:00. Details here Walking/ Hiking idea Walk all or a stretch of the Toblerones. This footpath was so named because of the Toblerone-shaped fortifications built during World War 2. These concrete "Toblerones" form a 15 km line from the foot of the Jura mountains down to the lake. The path winds its way through some natural beauty spots and there are places in Bassins, Begnins, Vich, Gland, Prangins to stop en-route to eat or have a drink. More details - click here Family days out The La Garenne zoo in Le Vaud (above Nyon) has a new baby lynx! It was born just a few weeks ago at the zoo. See the video on the zoo's Facebook page here. There are several websites that have great suggestions for days out and that give useful info of visiting places as a family Here are a selected few Know-it-all passport not only has a comprehensive events calendar on its website, but it has guest bloggers under the Family section on the site. There's lots to discover on this website! Lausanne Mom has written an excellent post on the value of the Swiss Museum Pass. She breaks down the cost of visiting various museums with the pass. Click here She also has written a great post on where to go with children on a Sunday! Some of her suggestions are obviously geared towards the Lausanne area but are still worth a read if you want to travel further afield. Geneva Family Diaries have listed a selection of events coming up in May here. Music U.S Band The Molochs will be playing at the Parenthèse on 26 May at 22:00 and Jonny Mafia (France) will be playing on the 27th May at 22:00 Asian Dub Foundation will be playing at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon on Wednesday 31st May at 20:30 Classical - Free classical music concerts in May and June in Nyon and surrounding area - see previous Living in Nyon article hereCinema Here is the programme of films for 24th May - 30th May at Nyon cinema. Films in English include "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" on Monday 29th May at 20:30 and "Going in Style", also on the 29th at 20:30 with Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin.

Photo above by Ryan Louie - courtesy Caroga Lake Music Festival A group of musicians from the prestigious Caroga Lake Music Festival and the Chamber Music Connection will be staying in the Nyon area over the next couple of weeks to perform in various private and public concerts and to work with students at the C.O.V the Conservatoire de l'Ouest Vaudois in Nyon. One of these concerts will be outside by the lake in Nyon, perfect for a warm spring evening! Caroga Lake Music Festival, a summer music festival based in Caroga Lake, New York, is a series of performances and community outreaches in the Adirondacks (NY), Hudson Valley (NY),New York City and beyond. Photo above by Gene Centi - courtesy Caroga Lake Music Festival The first free performance for the general public will be on Saturday 27th May at 20:00at the Conservatoire in Nyon with the following programme. Turina Bizet Entract from Carmen Grappelli and cover tune Schumann Piano Quintet, 4th mvt. Brahms Sextet Mendelssohn Octet 1st mvt. Massenet Meditation from Thais Schumann Quintet 1st mvt. Debussy Quartet 1st mvt. Brahms Piano Quartet in C Minor 3rd mvt. Mendelssohn Octet 4th mvt. the second performance will be on Sunday 28th May at 17:00 at the church in Begnins with Maestro Luc Baghdassarian with the following programme Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings Mahler Adagietto Bartok Divertimento for Strings the third performance will be on Monday 29th May at 20:00 at Nyon beach (in case of rain this will be rescheduled for the 2nd June) KASA Quartet works including Prince, Misirlou, etc. Grappelli, etc. featuring David Wong O’Connor Emily’s Reel Mendelssohn Octet 1st mvt. Smetana Quartet 1st mvt. Debussy Quartet 1st mvt. Mendelssohn Octet 4th mvt. There are many other concerts for the public scheduled during the musician's stay (see here) culminating in one big closing concert on Wednesday the 7th June at the Salle Communale in Nyon at 19:30 with the following programme Bartok Romanian Dances David Stone 1st and 3rd mvts. Debussy Dances McMichael with piano Prince, Misirlou, Grappelli, etc. featuring David Wong Barber Adagio Dvorak America Quartet 2nd mvt. Mendelssohn Octet 4th mvt. Dvorak American Quartet 4th mvt. This concert is supported by the Ville de Nyon and the Commune of Begnins and there will be a reception after the concert.

For the last two years, a group of refugees living in the local area have met to paint and create artwork together. A collection of this artwork will be exhibited at La Grenette in Nyon. This a small public art gallery can be found on the corner of Grand-Rue and Place du Marché in Nyon. The exhibition will be held on Friday 26th May from 18:00 - 20:30, Saturday 27 May from 09:30 - 17:00, Sunday 10:00 - 16:00. Many of the works reflect the life experiences and points of view of the artists. Note: The works of art cannot be sold directly at the gallery but any expressions of interest to purchase can be made at the gallery itself and the money will go to the artists themselves. Contact Eileen Wiley for more information 079 555 9630 eileen.wiley@hotmail.com Eileen Wiley is a British art therapist living in Canton Vaud and she has been working on the above project with the local group of refugees. She has also helped them to create and paint a mural on the entrance to their "abri" (shelter) in Nyon where they are currently housed. You can see more on the video below which was broadcast on Nyon Région TV. Photo above - Eileen Wiley explaining the concept of the "Multicultural Carpet", the title of the mural on the wall in the entrance to the shelter.

Geneva English School Awarded Excellence Across the Board‘Excellent’ in all possible aspects and high inspection praise for a Geneva school that’s expanding The Geneva English School has become the only international school in Geneva and in Switzerland to receive an "Excellent" rating in its inspection report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. This international school in Genthod, 10 kilometres from the centre of Geneva has been providing a British education with a global outlook for primary age children for over 50 years. In September 2017, the GES Secondary will expand into a brand-new site in Versoix and be open for Years 7, 8 and 9, (for children aged between 11 and 14). The school will then expand further organically (adding a school year every September) to eventually provide the full K-12 offering (for children aged 3-18). The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) follows the UK Government’s high standards required for British Schools Overseas and the inspection was conducted in March this year (2017). In its findings, the report praises Geneva English School (GES) for its “engaging, relevant and cutting-edge education”,“motivational atmosphere” and “highly-committed staff”. The report describes the school as fostering a genuine spirit of enquiry, and developing articulate, confident, thoughtful learners. But it also emphasises the school’s caring and nurturing atmosphere. “Throughout the school, teachers and teaching assistants have an exceptionally warm and positive rapport with the pupils, instilling in them a ‘can do’ attitude, which builds their resilience and perseverance,” it states. “A common feature is teachers’ energy and enthusiasm.” GES limits its enrolment (280 children currently in primary) to ensure a nurturing learning environment that can respond to the needs of every child. It attracts expatriates permanently based in Geneva, mobile expatriates, and nationals from both Switzerland and France seeking an English-medium education with globally-recognised curriculum. GES Headmaster, Tim Meunier said, “Everyone in the school is very proud to have been praised highly for our learning standards, environment and educational approach, which we believe are absolutely right for today’s young people. It is an exceptional validation for the school and one that is very encouraging as we expand into the Secondary years". For more info see the GES website here GES Headmaster - Tim Meunier

The Barillette café/ restaurant situated at 1,450 metres high in the Jura mountains opened for the summer season a few weeks ago and it's a great place to head to if you want a panoramic view of Lac Léman and for a day out. The café is about a 40 minute drive from Nyon. You can either park at the Swisscom antenna and walk down to the restaurant (about a 10 minute walk) or park at the restaurant itself. If you are feeling very energetic you can cycle up! Photo above - the parking area just below the Swisscom antenna. The Barillette is open non-stop, Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 - 23:00 and serves simple, but tasty fare (including fondue) either on the terrace or inside the chalet style building if it's cooler. Reservations are recommended at busy times. The area around the Barillette itself is good for hiking of all levels, with various short and long routes which are signposted. The signboard at the Swisscom carpark illustrates all the peaks and mountains of the Alps that can be seen on a clear day. Currently, (22 May) there are lots of wildflowers in bloom and plenty more that are due to bloom in the next few weeks. See selection of photos below. There are wild animal tracks to spot too!

Work has now begun on a section of the Route de Suisse as part of a three-year improvement plan. This first step which will last from 22 May to November 2017 will take place between the Chemin de Montfleury and the border between Geneva and Vaud. Several roads will be closed, new speed limits and diversions will be put in place. See illustration below. Also, see an interview by Nyon Région TV with the Mayor of Versoix here.

As Summer is around the corner, it's a good time for both children and adults to learn how to swim. The friendly swimming instructors in Clinique la Lignière speak English and they will be giving classes during the school summer holidays (3rd July - 9th August 2017) ranging from complete beginner to advanced stages of swimming. This indoor pool with warm water is in the Acquaforme centre in the clinic which is set in lovely grounds near the town of Gland (just a few miles from Nyon). Contact Sarah Lailler, manager of the swimming school on 022 999 65 81 email natation@la-ligniere.ch. Note: Inscriptions are also open for the September 2017/June 2018 swimming school sessions.

Three museums in Morges have joined together to host one exhibition entitled "Audrey Hepburn - Hubert Givenchy, an elegant friendship". The exhibition opens this weekend on Saturday the 20th May and runs until the 17th September 2017. The exhibition focuses on the relationship between the world-famous actress and the living legend of haute couture during the 20th century. There have been few exhibitions on the works of Hubert de Givenchy. To date, only two major retrospectives have been dedicated to him. And now there is one in Morges. The three museums are located five minutes from La Paisible in Tolochenaz, the village where Audrey Hepburn lived. The Morges museums will present pieces to the public that have never been exhibited before including 53 original dresses and sketches. Photo above - Copyright - Luc Castel 2016 - Breakfast at Tiffanys worn by Audrey - Made by Hubert de Givenchy 1961 All three museums are within walking distance of each other and the CHF 18 ticket price covers all three venues. Opening times are Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. More details - see the Expo Fondation Bolle website here or the Facebook page for the exhibition here. Photo above - Copyright - Luc Castel 2016. Day dress, silk worn by Audrey. Made by Hubert de Givenchy 1989-1990 Illustration above - Sketches by Hubert de Givenchy 2016 Talking of design, the new CHF 20 bank note is now in circulation and it's smaller than the older one! This smaller note makes it easier to fit it into wallets but the size has been an issue for some banks who have had to reconfigure their ATM machines in order to distribute it. To find out more about this bank note, see this article here by Swiss Info. To hear more and see what the note looks like, watch their video (in English) at the end of their article.

Here is a selection of events coming up in Nyon and Geneva in May and June. From museums open late this weekend in Geneva, to jazz and rock music in Nyon, from business lunches to a course on how to communicate messages clearly in meetings plus other events. May This Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May, museums in Geneva are open until midnight for the "Nuits des Musées" weekend. For just 10 CHF on Saturday, you can visit as many museums as you like until late at night. From the Firefighting Museum to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, to music from the Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band or the Pâquis-Grottes Funeral Jazz Band at the Museum of Ethnography - there's lots on offer! Click here for the full list (in English) of museums that are participating. There are free shuttle buses running between many of the museums on Saturday - click here Tickets for the Nuits des Musées can be bought at Payot in Nyon. Many museums are offering free entry on Sunday. Jazz in Nyon Marijke meets Ten Strings and a Blow Saturday 20th May at 20:30 at the 1306 Club in Nyon. Free entry. Hat passed round for the artists. Rock from the U.S Friday 26th May at 22:00 The Molochs playing at the Parenthèse in Nyon See video below June - Nyon Open House organised by the wine cellar of Nyon's château. This will take place outside the castle on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th June from 10:00 - 18:00 on both days. For just CHF 20 you can taste the local wines (for all day long if you want!) which are produced in Nyon and the surrounding region. On the Saturday evening there will be a free disco/dance in the cave of the château itself. See poster below. Nyon - Thursday 1st June 09:00 - 17:00 run by the Bright Green Learning Academy Using Interactive, Experiential Learning Games in Meetings to Communicate Messages Event content - see below Do your workshops or meetings address or introduce complex subjects (from climate change to collaboration)? Are your participants incredibly diverse and need to better understand one another, break down barriers and work together in the future? Would you like your workshops and meetings to have more energy? These are some of the reasons that the integration of interactive, experiential games into a workshop or meeting can be beneficial. This module will explore how to use games most effectively and appropriately to help communicate desired messages. For more details - click here Geneva Tuesday June 13 - "Britain after the Election" Business Luncheon from 11:45 -14:00 at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Geneva with Dr. Simon Heffer - Columnist for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. In association with the British Residents’ Association of Switzerland, the Royal British Legion Swiss Branch and the Royal Over-Seas League. More details here