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There are lots of events coming up this weekend in the Nyon area to celebrate the Easter period. On Saturday the 19th and Sunday 20th from  10:00 -17:00 the Moulin de Chiblins (the agricultural museum on the road to Gingins) has a full family programme of events lined up. There will with sheep, rabbits, performing dogs, workshops for children, a chocolatier and other food stands at the Moulin along with decorated eggs on display. This was a successful event last year and extra parking will be provided for visitors this year. In Nyon, also on Saturday and Sunday, the Easter market will take place at the Rive (down by the lake) with local and artisanal products on sale. At the S alle de la Colombiere there will be a Decorated Egg exhibition see posters below. More events coming up soon on this site!

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

The April Living in the Know podcast is now out and this month focuses on Lac Léman/Lake Geneva.  The podcast was recorded on a sunny day by the lakeside in Nyon and on this recording, listeners can hear (just click on the play button on the podcast link below) about the various types of boat trips that can be taken on the lake ranging from a little-known journey from a private dock for a lakeside glass of Prosecco in canton Geneva, to dancing on a Salsa boat in Montreux. Above: Fisherman Daniel checking his nets. Photo taken alongside the fishermen's huts in Nyon Photo above: Lisa and Catherine by Nyon lake side Lisa from Know-it-all passport talks about a hotel yacht moored on the lake and explains how to use the little yellow boats in Geneva. Catherine (from Living in Nyon) describes how the half-price train subscription on a CGN boat is advantageous and shares some interesting facts about the Musée du Léman in Nyon; did you know there was once a passenger submarine in our lake? No podcast would be complete without : and this month is about common mistakes when talking ab out certain kinds of fruit.  This month's podcast was kindly sponsored by  The International University  in Geneva. Useful links mentioned in the podcast CGN   boats -   The spring season start on the 17th April 2016 GB WayPoint in the port of Prangins offers boat and yacht rental The Bol D'Or Sailing Competition  Les Corsieres sailing school.   Based in Eaux Vives, it has a variety of boats to rent Stand up Paddle in Prangins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There will be an open American Contra dancing workshop on Friday 4th March from 19:30 to 21:30, run by the  "Folk O'Pieds" association in the sports hall in the village of Coinsins , (just a few kilometres from Nyon). This Friday workshop is open to all and without pre-reservation. The association itself promotes French and European folk dances and runs regular monthly workshop on American Contra Dancing. See the timetable of workshops here The workshop and dancing are in French, however it's a great opportunity to dance and meet others in a local setting. For more information, take a look at the website  or contact Laurent Berger on 076 448 22 25  (from Friday to Monday) or 077 406 45 55 (from Tuesday to Thursday) , he speaks English and would be happy to provide more information. Happy Dancing!