On Saturday the 19th September, "The Meal" will come to Nyon! The concept of The Meal is to gather people together to share a meal made up of local products and food that is in season, and to encourage us all to support local farmers, fishermen and food producers. The Meal will take place in the centre of Nyon at the Place du Château between 11:00 and 16:00, and is open to all, friends and family, associations etc. Tables can be reserved in advance for groups  (one table = 6- 8 people) or you can reserve an individual place by emailing   themealnyon@gmail.com The cost of the meal is CHF 25 CHF for adults, CHF 18 for students/chômeurs/A.V.S, and CHF 10 for children. Details in poster below. The Meal is a global event happening around the world on the same day ( see the main website here) , take a look at where the meal took place last year here (it originally started in Geneva in 1999!) and has been brought to Nyon at the initiative of Bernadette Nelissen and Corinne S. Schmidt (in photo below).  The Meal will be buffet style, served by volunteers, whilst the drinks can be bought from local producers. There will also be Nyon tap water available. This is an opportunity to not only eat local produce - both food and drink and to meet the local producers, but also to support a local and global project. The global project will support a cooperative in Benin, whilst the local project will support the launch of Les Jardins de Nyon . This newly formed group of local farmers and producers plan to produce a basket of local produce which will be available 33 times a year.  There is even a Facebook group for The Meal in Nyon Photo above left to right - Corinne Schmidt and Bernadette Nelissen bringing the meal to Nyon.

Here is a selection of events coming up in the Nyon area in September. Next Jazz concert organised by the Conservatoire in Nyon. On Friday 11th September at 20:30 Yu Sun will be performing at the Villa Thomas (note: this building is on the lakeside near to the Conservatoire, however it is a small venue so it is recommended to either arrive early or buy tickets in advance). The concert will be a voyage of  "jazz folklore from the regions of ex- Yugoslavia and Tzigane music". Ticket reservations click here  Here an example of Yu Sun's music here. Conversation with Julian Barnes on Sunday 26th September 17:00 at the Jan Michalski Foundation . Born in 1946 in Leicester, Julian Barnes is the author of eleven novels, short stories and collections of journalism. He has received many literary prizes. His novel, won the Prix Médicis étranger in 1986, and was rewarded Prix Femina étranger four years later. a profound meditation on the passing of time, won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. His latest novel, (2013), a mixture of essay, fiction and heartbreaking memoir, full of unparalleled insight and precision, is a powerful exploration of love and grief. Julian Barnes is also a master essayist. In , just published in French as , he looks at British, French, and American writers who have meant most to him. In his essays on art, just released in English he shines new light on great painters from old French masters to our contemporaries. Event moderated in English by Thomas Bodmer, editor and journalist Entrance CHF 10 Reservation required: barnes@fondation-janmichalski.ch Museums of Nyon  The photography exhibition of Sarah Carp continues in the Musée du Leman until the 29th October and the extraordinary marquetry work of Brooklyn based Alison Elizabeth Taylor , continues until the 25th October in the Château of Nyon  Saturday 26th September - BBQ, Line Dancing, Tombola and More. Day out for families at the La Côte Church Autumn Fair 10:00- 17:00  Art Exhibition Rolle  Local artists, both amateur and professional will be holding an exhibition of their work at the Château of Rolle on the 19th and 20th September. See poster below.   Note - the roadworks in Rolle  will have ended by that date! Clubs and Associations  Toastmasters of Nyon Toastmasters Nyon will be starting a new season in September. Meeting are held every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 19:15 - 21:30. The next meeting is on Wednesday 9th September. Toastmasters is a worldwide on-profit organisation to promote the art of public speaking, effective communication and leadership. Details click here The Geneva Writers' Group  Started in 1993, The Geneva Writers’ Group brings together over 200 English language writers from close to 30 countries. Their objective is to encourage all forms of creative writing in English and to create a supportive community ranging from fledgeling writers to published authors with a growing backlist of titles. Meetings are held monthly, from September to June at the Geneva Press Club, with a programme of writing workshops, critiquing sessions, and master classes. Every two years we hold the International Geneva Writers’ Conference at Webster University in Bellevue, alternating with a “Meet the Agents” weekend. Click here The Geneva English Drama Society  (GEDS) begins their new 2015-2016 season They will stage three major stage productions:  Proof  by David Auburn, Caught in the Net by Ray Cooney, and Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire plus a series of rehearsed play readings throughout the year.   Click here

There was a packed hall in the Salle Communale in Nyon last night as an audience gathered to celebrate 40 years of the film festival. There were interesting anecdotes from the founder, and from others involved with the event on how it all started and has progressed since then. The audience were also there to watch "Persona non Grata". This film made by Fabio Wuytack tells the story of his father Frans Wuytack, a Belgian priest who lived and worked in the poorest neighbourhoods in the shanty towns of Caracas in the 1960's. Wuytack shared his possessions with many and with those he felt needed them more than him. He was so shocked at the poverty he saw around him, that he began a series of actions making demands from the state, such as education for children, new drains for a fresh water supply etc. He believed actions spoke louder than words and helped unblock sewers, re-build shanty houses, but eventually his actions were scene as a threat to the authorities and after several arrests he was eventually expelled and went back to live in his native Belgium. In 2000 the ban was lifted in him entering the country and here Fabio takes up the story accompanying his father to Venezuela to film those that remembered him and to recount the story. The surprise of the evening was the announcement that Frans Wuytack himself was in the audience, so he was called on to the stage to answer questions on his life and the film. Here he used the opportunity to remind everyone of those that were in poverty around the world, showing that his passion and commitment to such issues has not waned. This film came about because when the director was here in Nyon at Visions du Réel back in 2005, two individuals from the business (one from Taiwan, one from the Netherlands) recognised his talent, so when Fabio pitched the idea of making this film on his father they put up the money up to enable the film to go ahead. This is a fascinating film, superb cinematography, the aerial shots of the shanty towns of Caracas that still exist today, are magnificent and show the scale of the problem at the same time. The story itself is exciting and one well worth telling. There are often stories like this of filmmakers who start off in a small way but get the opportunity at this festival to pursue their ideas and projects. Catch this film while you can. The film will be repeated tomorrow at 09:00 in the Cinema -Capitole 2 It is 80 minutes long.

The new traffic lights have now been switched on in Nyon. These traffic lights are part of a strategy from the "Mobilité and Travaux et Environnement" department of Nyon town council/ city government, to encourage the use of public transport by giving buses priority over cars. Buses will now run every 15 minutes and new routes have been created to make it easier for the commuter/passenger.   See here.  Each bus has a transmitter that influences the lights to give the buses priority.  This transport policy has been implemented to allow for the predicted increase in traffic when approximately 9,000 new residents will move to the area into the new buildings in the north of the town (Morâche, Petite-Prairie etc). This is expected to happen between now and 2020. There have been a few teething problems with the new traffic system and drivers have been experiencing delays. What is your experience of the new system? Do feel free to comment here on this site or over  on the Living in Nyon Facebook page. Map above - courtesy MStCM- TPN

A  new book on Paléo is now out!  The book called "La magie de l'ephémère" has been launched to celebrate 35 years of Nyon's famous music festival. The book is full of photos of the festival over the years: the crowd, the artists, behind the scenes, the installations, the village du monde, the volunteers.  The book  (in French) would make a super Christmas present and even if  you gave it to some one whose grasp of the French language isn't great, as the saying goes, "a picture tells a thousand words" and from the superb photos in this book you can feel and see the atmosphere of this fabulous music festival.  Check out the superb photo of Dionysos on pages 101 and 102  jumping into the crowd.  The book is priced at 44 CHFand is available at the usual sales outlets including the Paléo shop in Nyon and is a great  memory of warmer summer weather! Photo above: Festival goers - Paléo 2010 Ice Rinks However, summer is but a distant memory at the moment, and the colder weather has definitely arrived here in Nyon ( snow is predicted!), but the good news is that the temporary ice rinks in Nyon and Coppet are now open. The Nyon one is situated by the lake and is operated by the Hockey Club of Nyon, and it will remain open until 6th March. There is a website for the rink with opening hours and more information here The Coppet ice rink is situated near then Château and the opening times are here . On the 26th November the ice rink at Gland will officially open. Details  here  Pantomime season has arrived The colder weather also brings with it the pantomime season (oh yes it does!) and this year is no exception as the Geneva Amateur Operatic society will be performing Cinderella at the Théatre du Léman  in Geneva from the 3rd to the 5th December. If you have never been to this typical British traditional type of entertainment then go along with the family to find out what it is all about. Pantomimes are (loosely based) around traditional folk tales and there are usually wonderful costumes, great singing, lots of laughs, a dame (played by a man) and audience participation. It's a fun afternoon or evening out  for many anglophone expatriates (and Swiss) and it marks the start to all the Christmas entertainment on offer in this area. The theatre is in a lovely venue and is set right on Geneva's lake side and decorated with Christmas lights.  Tickets and further information on Cinderella here . This production of Cinderella has extremely funny dialogue written by famous actor, Stephen Fry and was first performed at the Old Vic, in London in 2007/08. Photo above: by Mike Sell and Dipi -  The "dame" and cast in from GAOS's production of Red Riding Hood 2009

Divonne les Bains in France (just a few miles from Nyon) is famous for its Sunday morning market. Locals and visitors alike, come from far and wide for the wide selection of fresh food, spices, household goods, bread, French cheeses and a little bit of French ambiance (accordion player included!) However, the town of Divonne (population 8,000) is also home to many expatriates. Living in Nyon is delighted that Celia Marsh, a British expatriate living in Divonnne for many years, has written about what it is like to live in the town. Updated 4th November 2014 The Spa and a bit of history of the town. "Like Nyon, Divonne was appreciated by the Romans for its water, an underground aqueduct used to link Divonne to Nyon to supply it with ‘l’eau divine’ hence the name (apparently). The bust of Dr Paul Vidart is mounted on a pedestal in the park in the centre of town as he recognised the quality of the water from the source. This water is rich in calcium and magnesium and thus led to the birth of the spa which originally made the town wealthy. Situated by the side of the large art deco, four star hotel, called the Domaine de Divonne the ‘Thermes de Divonne’  building houses a gym, fitness classes, pool, beauty treatment rooms - in short, all sorts of ways to pamper and preen yourself. Leisure facilities For such a small town Divonne has an incredible offering of leisure and tourist facilities which make it such a great place to live. There is a 50 metre heated outdoor pool with accompanying paddling pool, a baby pool, a pool with a long slide and a diving pool, all surrounded by large lawns and a café serving a range of snacks. Only a few metres away lies a sandy beach which was constructed on the edge of lake Divonne. This lake was made by filling the hole left by the gravel which was taken out to help construct the autoroute - the mayor wisely asked that in return for this excavation, that an exit off the motorway be created for Divonne. The beach has a wide but shallow swimming area, which is roped off from the rest of the lake; there is a strip of lawn to laze on, a café and shower facilities. Just along from the lake there is a small port area from which you can hire small sail boats and canoes and a place to launch for windsurfers, there is also a sailing school.  Around the lake there are lanes marked off for cyclists and walkers. These are very popular indeed, recent additions to the grassy banks  are monkey bars & parallel bars to do various exercises on. Newly installed lighting means the whole of the walking area (which is about 3 km in length) is lit at night. You can often see fishermen around the lake too, (note: a permit is required which can be obtained from the Office de Tourisme). On the north side of the lake there is ‘Forestland’, a leisure park for children of all ages (I'm sure some adults will enjoy it too!) –activities include going from tree to tree on wires and bridges, ping pong, trampolining as well as organised activities for groups and parties such as treasure hunts and laser games etc. Next door to Forestland there is a crazy golf, mini go kart track, and a place to hire cycle cars which can be pedalled round the lake. Divonne also has a tennis club offering 8 tennis courts, 4 indoor and 4 outdoor and an active club. Two of the courts were added in 2013 and are on ‘terre battu’ – (clay courts) Cultural activities The Esplanade has an active programme of cultural events includes plays and classical concerts (amongst other shows) throughout the year. There is a music school in town too which promotes a jazz band and gives concerts from time to time.  There is a also a printed programme of events (published monthly) around the town including those at the esplanade called ‘ Je vie à Divonne’ (I live in Divonne) which can be found in most of the shops, banks and Office de tourism. Another way to spend your money in Divonne is to gamble it away: Divonne has a successful Casino attached to the Domaine de Divonne Hotel, which has slot machines, black jack, poker, roulettes… if you are over 18 and come dressed smartly with your passport you too can end up with a small fortune (as long as you started with a very big one). Eating out/ Restaurants in Divonne. There are a dozen or so restaurants catering for all budgets;  There is an Indian restaurant called The Rajhastan which can be found in the courtyard opposite Credit Agricole on the main street. For more expensive, elegant dining there is La Terrasse (part of the Domaine) - classic sophistication, and also Le Rectiligne – modern chic by the lake, (opposite the port). There is now a Thai restaurant called Kamiko (updated November 2014) For very simple fare in a fantastic setting (but only open in the summer months), you must try the restaurant La ferme de Mont Mussy, up on the hill leading out of Divonne towards Gex. It has no electricity, but offers simple but delicious salads and delicious tarte aux myrtilles ( necessary to book at week- ends). The view of the lake and Alps from the restaurant is panoramic and can be enjoyed from the outdoor terrace which has plenty of space for children to play and there is even a swing provided. Education There are primary 3 schools in Divonne - one newly opened in 2013, the other two refurbished and extended in the last three years. There is also a ‘college’ for years 7 to 10 inclusive. My daughter went to the primary school in Arbere, and was also able to attend lessons in the English National Programme at Ferney Lycée,  one afternoon a week , to continue her education in Maths, History/geography, English Language and English Literature. The programme has an excellent reputation and is inspected to UK standards. The schools in Divonne are used to welcoming children of all nationalities, there are many expatriates that live in Divonne. My daughter attended the English programme with three others in her class. There are also National Programmes in German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Swedish. Note: if you have any questions on Schooling/ Education  anywhere in Switzerland, Living in Nyon can highly recommend the book called "Education Guide Switzerland". This is a comprehensive catalogue of all English language schools and academic programmes in Switzerland. Cafés and Cooking Classes For a nice cup of coffee or tea  in Divonne the Comptoir du Chocolat is a must, it has a few tables both inside and out, when the weather permits, try their hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, it’s pure velvety chocolate heaven! The chocolates there are divine too. For those of you wishing to improve on your own culinary skills, there is a successful cookery school the "Coulisses Gourmandes" this offers daytime and evening courses for small groups –for adults or children, with the bonus that you get to eat the products of your labour after your cooking. The school is run by Dominique Roué who has been chef at several Michelin starred restaurants. Golfing in Divonne Divonne also boasts a superb golf course, (I have been told it is one of the oldest in Europe), it has 60 hectares of greens, a driving range and is a par 72, although I am not a golfer I can recommend the 19 th hole which is the Pavillon du Golf, this has a lovely shady terrace with views to the Alps, to sit out on in summer and it does a very nice lunch! The Chateau Just opposite the Pavillon is the Chateau de Divonne a magnificent 19 th century classical building which is a luxury hotel. It’s worth checking out their web site as they offer some interesting entertainment including wine tasting evenings, jazz on the terrace overlooking Mont Blanc and musical evenings offered with cocktails and/or gourmet meals. If you want to explore the town there are bikes for hire from the tourist office, and they also offer a wide range of organised walks and outings in Divonne and elsewhere - day trips to the French and Swiss Alps and other beauty spots. You can find out about these in the publication ‘Divonne Animation’ our very own version of what’s on, available from shops and the tourist office! Update November 4th 2014 The cost of living in Divonne, and those French taxes! Cost of Living Celia Marsh says - Since I first wrote this section below I have since received a lot of questions on this subject!  Divonne is a very attractive alternative to living just over the border in Switzerland, and apart from nearby Nyon, it is the only town to offer the wide range of facilities I have described. Since the change of government to President Hollande it appears that prices are even more attractive than they were to the Swiss and many have been buying  property on this side of the border.  Fortunately, key infrastructure such as new schools and a crèche is keeping pace. Here is the current situation as I know it General living costs Petrol and food, and eating out are about 30 % cheaper in France-and the further away from Divonne the cheaper it gets- Gex, St Genis as examples of neighbouring towns, offer much cheaper housing and eating out. A cinema ticket in Ferney (for example) costs 9 euros (11 CHF), whilst in Geneva is around 18 CHF Taxes  -as a ‘frontalier’ ie someone who works in Switzerland but lives in France If you work in Geneva, all taxes are paid as if you were living in CH, (you pay no French tax), there is some arrangement between France and Switzerland to allow this. If you work in Vaud canton, you pay Swiss Social taxes of about 7 %, and French income taxes (impot sur le revenue) see current tax bands for 2014 and how these are applied here: . As a family we have experienced three scenarios- we have lived and worked in Geneva canton, lived in Divonne and worked in Geneva and lived in Divonne and worked in Vaud. In all three scenarios our experience is that we are paying similar tax levels. Healthcare charges If you work in Switzerland you can opt to be in the Swiss Healthcare system called LaMal when you start work. You choose an approved insurance scheme and pay your subscription fees. As a frontalier the other option you have is to choose to be insured by the French state healthcare, for those lucky enough to be on a high salary you will pay according to a % of your salary. The more you earn the worse the second option is. BEWARE, once you have turned down the Swiss option, they don’t let you reapply, so this is to be considered carefully. Living this side of the border is definitely cheaper than in Switzerland. Although house prices in Divonne are higher than in the neighbouring villages, they are considerably less than over the border-probably by about 30-40 %. For example a nice 180 m2 house for rent in central Divonne is around 3000-3500 Euros (Oct 2010). There are always discussions and questions about high French taxes, but if you work in Geneva you don’t pay French tax, if you work in Vaud you only pay French income tax, all social charges (the expensive part of French taxation) are paid in Switzerland. In our family we had a tax advisor calculate the sums for us and we were much better off in France- as living here means we don’t have to pay Swiss health insurance. (for example I have an international health insurance policy which covers me (100% cover) for the whole of Europe, this costs about a fifth of what a friend pays in Switzerland). There are many reasons why I like living in Divonne, it's a super place to be and as a bonus we are only 15 minutes from the airport and not much more to get into Geneva. The only thing we miss is a direct train link, but handily there is a bus which links to the train from Coppet or from Nyon-  after all you can’t have it all!" All Photos C. Marsh Celia Marsh - Update 1st June 2017 - Celia no longer lives in Divonne and is unable to answer any more reader enquiries.

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 !