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There's a lot going on this weekend in the Nyon and Geneva region. Here are a few of the events on the agenda. Saturday - Cow parade in St Cergue On Saturday 1st October it's the annual "La Désalpe" in St Cergue. This annual tradition is when cows are brought down from the hills by farmers to be wintered in the lower lying barns. The cows are decorated with headdresses and led through the village in a a colourful parade, and it's well worth going up to the village if you have never been to it before. There are other events throughout the morning such as flag twirling, folkloric singing, and there is food available for sale at the buvettes in the village.  Note: the first parade parade starts at 08:30 so get up there early in order not to miss it! This is a very popular event and parking can be very tricky on this day, it's easier to take the little red train from Nyon to St Cergue (there are extra trains scheduled for this event). See St Cergue Tourism Autumn Fair in Nyon  After watching the Désalpe on Saturday morning, you still have time to get down to Nyon for its Autumn fair, this is another colourful event with all the fruits and vegetables of the season on display along with other stands, music and entertainment.  Saturday 1st October - Tourist visit of Nyon . If you would like a guided tour of Nyon and want to know a bit more about its buildings, its history and cultural heritage, then why not go to the last guided Saturday tour of the 2011season. Just turn up in front of the castle at 10:30 (tour leaves promptly). The tour is an nice easy one and half hour walk and costs 20chf which includes a drink/apéro, and food (platter of meat) at the end of the walk in the atmospheric old wine cellar of Nyon. Children go free of charge.  See Nyon tourism 1 ,500 Classic British Cars in Morges If you are interested in "Classic Cars", then the Swiss Classic British Car Meeting in Morges is also on Saturday from 10:00- 17:00.  Over 1,500 classic cars will be at this meeting which takes place along the quayside, the château and the Parc d' L'independance. The invited models for 2011 are the Jaguar E Type and all Jaguars Delorean. If you have a British vehicle take it along,  no reservation necessary. The website with more information is in French, English and German. Sunday Expat Expo On Sunday over at Palexpo (near Geneva Airport) it's Expat Expo. This is a massive event for expats, as under one roof you will find information on doctors, accountants, lawyers, schools, day-care clubs, churches, accountants, there are speciality food items on sale, a bouncy castle for children and much more. See website for full information .  Also on Sunday over in Rolle by the château there's another autumn market -  the Marche de l' Espoir run by Terre des Hommes. Games, music, food and drink stands from 10:00 - 17:00. There are hundred of other activities going in the region, for the full list of events. Pick up the "Agenda de La Côte" from the tourist office, it is also printed inside La Côte newspaper each Thursday.     Music There's music on at the Usine a Gaz tonight Friday 30th September with "Brigitte",  a pop duo from France and the group "Jerry Can". See Usine a Gaz site  for more info and other upcoming concerts.

A family friendly place for both young and old  - just a short drive from Nyon The Château de Vullierens has now opened its gardens and grounds to the general public and they will remain open until the 22nd June. These gardens are famous locally for their collections of irises and lilies and for their modern sculptures which are scattered around the grounds. Other attractions include an outdoor restaurant/ café (also offering lazy Sunday brunches), a small art gallery and a gift shop. There is plenty of space (around 100 acres) for little ones to run around, to play hide and seek and to touch (some) of the sculptures.  Free entrance for children under the age of 11. There is a shady avenue walk (amongst trees planted back in 1758) and benches placed throughout the gardens and grounds to simply sit and contemplate the view on to the vineyards and Alps beyond. The château also offers various cultural activities such as wine tastings (the château has its own vineyard) and evening concerts. On the 29th May and the 8th June (from 16:30 -18:00) there will be the opportunity to see the gardens from 30 metres above ground in a static hot air balloon. This is free for visitors! Note: the gardens are open on a Monday and on this day you can buy two tickets for the price of one. Although the gardens are open for another four weeks the irises are looking their best right now. The gardens are approximately 15 minutes from the Morges motorway exit. The drive then takes you through pretty villages and Vaud countryside to reach the château. Full map and details on their website here See photo essay below of the gardens with more information. One of the many modern sculpture that visitors can look at (or in this case) sit on! Large statues can be found throughout the grounds. Above - Children looking at the art. Below  - The massive hanging sculpture near the entrance to the garden Lilies galore Photo above - For those interested in gardening and growing their own irises, there is an iris and garden information centre situated right in the centre of the grounds.  Over  400 varieties of irises or 150 varieties of day lilies can be ordered on site either on site at the château or online. Deliveries are made from mid August to October. The sculpture that makes a noise! Fun for the children to walk over Questionnaires throughout the grounds on the flora and fauna around Entrance to the outbuildings near the château Friendly staff at the château reception! The château itself (this is a private residence and is not open to the public) however you can see the entrance hall of this magnificent building and hear an interview with the owner at  minutes 1. 38 and 7.56  - 9. 40 on this TV programme here (in French). The property has been in the same family  for 700 years! A statue in the "Secret Garden" Ice cream for sale at the café The outdoor café /restaurant Check out the big chair and the big table in the restaurant End the day out with a glass of Château de Vuillerens wine!

The current exhibition on at the Château de Prangins is entitled "Papiers decoupés" ("Paper cuts") and this year focuses on contemporary paper cutting. Above paper cut by Werner Gunterswiler  "La Mouche, 2012" - All images courtesy Château de Prangins The exhibition includes some historical paper cuts, including a love letter, silhouettes and scenes depicting an Alpine cattle drive all created by traditional paper cutting artists. There is also an installation of paper dresses! Fancy trying paper cutting yourself?  Every Sunday at the château there are demonstrations of papercutting and an opportunity to try your hand at the art itself from 14:30 to 16:30. The exhibition lasts until the 28th September.  For full details of exhibtion and the Sunday afternoon demonstrations  click here Ticket for Film "A Long Way Down" based on the best selling book by Nick Hornby  - Monday 21 July 2014 There are five pairs of ticket up for grabs for the Monday movie in English on the 21 July in Nyon. The film is "A Long Way Down" based on the best selling book by Nick Hornby. The film stars Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots and is an "avant-première"!   To be in with a chance of winning tickets, send an email with your full name, the name of the other person who will be accompanying you and the towns or villages that you both live in to  info@capitole-nyon.ch     Closing date Saturday 19th July 2014. See trailer below.

We have been scouring other Swiss websites for a selection of news and articles that will interest Living in Nyon readers in our section called 1260+ (Nyon and beyond). Nyon News is at the end of this post Know it All Passport  School holidays -  Ûseful Dates - It's the school holidays in Geneva this week and the following two weeks will be holidays in Vaud. If you want to see a comprehensive calendar of all school holiday dates, check out the excellent "Holiday Calendar"  on the Know it All Passport website.  Click here  Want to know what activities are on over the holiday period? Check out their activities calendar  here .  There are also some recommended Valentine Day choices in an article  here World Radio Switzerland -  Interesting Radio Interviews Cold Spell - Interview Interview with  meteorologist Lionel Fontannaz, from  MeteoSwiss , about where this recent cold spell in Switzerland came from, and how long it will last (recorded Friday 8th February) Click here Kids in Mind - Programme Helping children deal with their worries - Click here  Book about the Residents of Lausanne -  Interview   Interview with Laura Spinney, author of a book called Rue Centrale, which paints a portrait of Lausanne featuring interviews with 70 residents from all walks of life including bankers, prostitutes, train drivers, tango dancers, illegal immigrants an pillars of the community. Click here Dig it!  - Gardening  Programme - Click here Growing your own detox fruit, vegetable and herbs Lecture series in English at the Museum of Modern  and Contemporary Art of Geneva  Click here Geneva Lunch  Articles in English on Swiss Wines - Geneva Lunch Interested in knowing more about Swiss wines?  The editor of Geneva Lunch has written many articles on Swiss wine under her blog called "Among the Vines"   Click here  Newly Swissed  There's an amusing couples of posts on the website Newly Swissed - one called  "A Lesson from Liechtenstein",  and " 33 more Signs that you are becoming Swiss"  Swiss Info  Article entitled "Swiss Roots - Home is where the Heart is"-   Click here NYON NEWS Paléo  -  New Stage - called "Les Arches"  Read all about this new stage at Paléo, to be launched at the festival this year. The competition to name the new stage received over  8500 different suggestions! This new stage that will take the place of the Chapiteau.  See diagrame below. Here are the results of the competition - 1. Scène des Arches: 2601 votes (36%), 2. Scène Woodstock : 2175 votes (30%), 3. Scène de la Dôle : 979 votes (14%), 4. Scène Bashung : 937 votes (13%),  5. Scène de l’Entrée : 488 votes (7%) More info on the Paléo website. Finally, don't forget the Living in Nyon column in English every Friday in La Côte newspaper. The paper for all your local news.

Living in Nyon took to the air on Tuesday with pilot Marcel Briand to get a bird's eye view of Paléo and of  the town of Nyon.  Take a look at these photos of the festival, the stages and the campsite which were taken early in the afternoon. There are not too many people near the main stage at this time - a complete contrast to the evening when the area is  packed with music lovers, particularly so on Thursday night for both the Dub and Santana concerts.  Review of Thursday coming up. Also below see  photos of  Nyon from above, the castle, the boats in the harbour and check out the colour of the lake! Photo above - Before the crowds arrive - The  main stage - the Grand Scène Close up on just one area of the massive campsite Photo above - More of the campsite and the car parking area Above the Village du Monde area and the Dôme tent, this year the place for music from the Indian Ocean The Dome plus the main stage Behind the scenes of the Les Arches stage. See the infrastructure needed to put on a concert!  Apologies for the not-so sharp-images. It's not easy keeping the camera still when you are high up in a plane and leaning out over the scene in the wind! The Club tent, Les Arches and the Dome tent. The "Birdland" structure seen from above Above the outskirts of Prangins Above Nyon The boats in Nyon harbour The CGN ferry coming into port   Pilot Marcel Briand

This film review of Hula and Natan directed by Robby Elmaliah, is a film " not to be missed" according to Trish Thalman.  This film will be shown today Monday 11 April 2011 at the Capitole 2 – 18:00 Hula and Natan We live just to die”, complains the growling, morose, kind and dissipated Hula, after a ‘Colour Red’ alert is sounded that warns of incoming Qassam Rockets. The, mostly, homemade Hamas rockets are being launched from Gaza and arrive in Sderot, Israel, which is close to the Gaza/Israel border. Hula then jokes “they are giving me back all the metal I sold to them”. Hula and his brother Natan have a car repair ‘shop’ (shop is certainly a loose term) in Sderot. It is in fact, a scruffy, overgrown dusty field with junked out cars spread about like metal toys, random piles of iron, metal, old car batteries -  just about everything, in no particular order. The ‘office’ is an ancient, grimy caravan where business conversations and foul-language, spiteful arguments go on-and-on between the two men. Black, oily hands from years of working on cars, have turned the doors, walls, everything, into a colour of greasy grey mixed with tobacco smoke yellow. It’s a love-hate relationship between the two brothers and they give as good as they get. In fact, it’s the sensitive, loving friendship between them that keeps the business ‘going’. They have been at their ‘car repair shop’ for nearly 30 years and it is their ‘home’. They are well known, loved and despised at the same time. There is an animal family at ‘the shop’ of beloved cats, dogs, a donkey, roosters and chickens who are healthy and extremely well cared for. Even the animals look up to the sky when the ‘color red’ alerts are announced.  Both men have had unhappy marriages.  Hula has been divorced for 13 years, and laments, “ but I have never left my wife”.  Some of his happier moments are when he is with his wife’s son, Aaron, from a relationship she had after the divorce. Natan is separated from his wife and two children. His wife harasses him endlessly on the phone about needing money.  He remains separated and cannot come to grips with getting a divorce. This is cause for many arguments between the two brothers, berating each other about the fact that they have had no joy in their lives or love. They do have a long list of prostitutes names whom they often visit. An eviction notice arrives - again! An eviction notice arrives – again!  This is an on-going process in their lives. The huge crane and trucks arrive to take away all the old cars that are sitting around in the dirt and weeds. In principle, the land is to be cleared and their ‘car repair shop’ is to cease business.  By law, their caravan and other piles of ‘who-knows-what’ is not subject to the eviction notice.  Cars eventually return and the ‘repair shop’ remains in business. For the Independence Day celebration, the two brothers visit a barber together and get their scruffy hair cut and long, unkempt beards shaved off. Pleased with their images, they smile at themselves and each other. They are ready for a day of celebration together and return to the, currently,  empty ‘car repair shop’ caravan and animals. This truly tragicomic story, is joyful and spirited, in spite of their situation with their business, and tense situations with Hamas in-coming fire. They get on with their lives employing a mixture of sullenness, despair, hope, joy, humour and genuine brotherly love for each other. What all religions ask of us. The young filmmaker Robby Elmaliah has created a film about real life provided by two indomitable spirits.  For a few minutes, we focus on people and not the dangerous political situation that exists in the Southern part of Israel.  This is a film not to be missed.

Did you know that you can now shop for clothes on a Sunday at the Karen Millen store  in Geneva?  Not only is the store open on a Sunday for personal shopping (by previous appointment ), but Sarah Groves, the franchise partner of Karen Millen in Switzerland, will guide you towards the perfect outfit including shoes and accessories, whether you are looking for a whole new summer wardrobe, or just a couple of items. In addition she is offering a 10% discount on purchases to Living in Nyon readers. Photo above: Sarah Groves, happy to help her customers shop to find the perfect outfit and on a Sunday too!   This Sunday private shopping concept is a great opportunity to shop in peace (and for busy mums to leave the children with partners for a few hours!) and to try on outfits to their  heart’s content. The Rive car park is located near to the store and the store is easily accessed via public transport. From Cornavin train station take tram lines 12 and 14 to Rive, or buses 5 and 8  which also stop at Rive, directly next to the Karen Millen store.   The Karen Millen store has been established in Geneva since 2002 and Sarah has been supplying stylish clothes to both the Swiss and expat community since it first opened its doors and is now one of Europe’s top stores.   Sarah explained to living in Nyon, “Karen Millen is a designer name but our prices are not stratospheric, they are very competitive, for example, you can pick up a pretty summer dress at  280 CHF  or 175 CHF for a skirt and readers will also be happy to hear we also stock clothes in a wide size range, from size 6 to 16. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service in the shop, it’s our mantra and the fact that we all speak fluent English is very important to  many of our customers”.    If you would like to book a personal shopping session on a Sunday and take advantage of the 10% discount to Living in Nyon readers (discount valid for any day, not just Sunday) then email kmgeneva@yahoo.uk , mention Living in Nyon, and happy shopping! Address of the Geneva store: - 7 Cours de Rive, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. Opening Hours  Monday:10.00-19.00 Friday:10.00-19.00,  Tuesday:10.00- 19.00, Wednesday:10.00- 19.00, Thursday:10.00-21.0, Saturday:10.00- 18.00 Sunday by personal appointment. Tel: 022-3104201

A Happy New Year to all readers!  Many of you will already have received the Living in Nyon Winter newsletter which was sent out in the first few days of January. The newsletter contains a summary of previous articles published on this site over the last few months plus the news that the site now has two new emails. Please note that the old email cnp@bluewin.ch will no longer be valid for this site. The two new emails are: events@livinginnyon.com - This email is for individuals, companies, other websites, arts, theatre and music organisations to promote events coming up in the area. info@livinginnyon.com - This is for any other Living in Nyon business, including advertising enquiries. Not subscribed to the newsletter? Just add your name in the "sign up now " box in the top right hand corner of this site to receive the newsletter ( approximately 3-4 times a year). Here's an eclectic mix of news and events to begin 2013 plus coming soon on this site, an article on Living in Arzier by resident Laura Covino. New white taxed rubbish/garbage bags to replace black bags You should should have received information through your letterbox about the new white taxed rubbish bags that came into use on the 1st January 2013 in many communities across the canton of Vaud.  There's more information on the official Nyon town site here  There's a also good summary about this new law on the news site Geneva Lunch,  click here , and an interesting interview about the new bags and how communes are affected by the new law on World Radio Switzerland,  here Events this weekend - Sunday 6th January - Galette des Rois in Nyon. The annual serving of the "king cake" to children and adults in Nyon. It is difficult to get accurate information on this event, but  it is assumed the procession will take place at 18:30 outside La Combe shopping centre and then move on to the Place du Chateâu. Also 6th January  - The " Association des bains des 3 Jetées" invite members of the public to join them over a glass of Vin Chaud from 11:00 at the Bains des 3 Jetées itself. Usually this event also involves the serving of raclette around a big massive jacuzzi (after the swimmers in the association have dipped in the icy lake), however as the area is currently being redeveloped and modernised. a simple drink is on offer this year - However the association do say there will be some surprises on the day! Interested in photography? New art gallery opens in Lausanne There is an exhibition currently on until January 17 dedicated to the English photographer Simon Roberts in a newly opened contemporary art gallery in Lausanne. Two series of his work are shown, “We English” and “Pierdom”.  All images have been taken in Great Britain.  For more details of this new gallery and opening hours, click here.   To find out more about the photographer, see his own website here Photo above from the "Pierdom" series.   Description taken from photographer's site With Pierdom, Simon Roberts turns his camera to a specific architectural remnant that bears witness to leisure of the past—not just in England, but around Britain. Mostly built in the 19th Century along the coastline of Britain, these piers were originally constructed as landing docks for pleasure steamers, but progressively catered to the needs of seaside day-trippers, who were escaping the grime and smog of the cities. In their heyday, the ‘pleasure piers’ incorporated cafes, casinos, theaters and even tramways. While some were modest structures others were elegant and exotic, thrusting out into the sea with characterstic Victorian aplomb. At the turn of the last century, almost a hundred piers existed: now only half remain and several face an uncertain future. All have interesting tales to tell, usually involving fierce weather, boat strikes, fires and the practice of ‘sectioning’ in the Second World War, when many piers on the east and south coasts were partly dismantled to prevent them being used as landing stages by the Germans. Following in the footsteps of Francis Frith, whose company made the last major photographic survey of these peculiarly British structures in the early 20th century, Roberts has been documenting the remaining piers, mostly out-of-season, using his signature landscape style and traditional 4 x ” plate camera. The photographs echo his work in We English: topographical landscapes, sometimes figurative and with a minimal colour palette.

Photo above: Courtesy ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson) of The Bianca Story , performing at the club. The barefoot writer is back!  Regular readers of  Living in Nyon may remember the great reviews of  both the atmosphere and the music from Paléo 2010 written by Jonas Parson (a.k.a "the barefoot writer "). Last year Jonas went travelling to Australia and to India and for the first time in his life he missed Paléo!  However he has now returned to Switzerland and we are happy to report he will be writing for this site again during this year's Paléo and on other music events that are happening around the Nyon region. Jonas is now studying philosophy and French literature at the University of Lausanne, and says he  spends his time reading a lot, practising at the Nyon circus school , and hanging out at the university student pub. He also says - "I'm happy Spring is back as it means I can put my shoes away and happily tread the barefoot path of freedom".  Jonas has written an article below called;  "In between the brackets - a night out at the  "Parenthèse", on the small but influential music club in the heart of Nyon.  Read on to find out more about the concerts at this venue, the club's music policy and how it  is now acquiring a reputation for attracting new and exciting new bands from all over the world. In between the brackets - A night out at the Parenthèse - Jonas Parson Strolling along the Grand-Rue in Nyon, you've probably already gone past the Parenthèse , just opposite the charming cobble-stoned Place du Marché, maybe without even knowing it was there.  Photo above  C. Nelson- Pollard - The venue (enter the tunnel here in Grand Rue next to the music shop to find the Parenthése)  Venturing down a small tunnel dating back – according to the stone carving above the entrance- to the 17 th century,  you find yourself in front of the entrance to this small bar dedicated to promoting live music in the area. Plunge down a flight of stairs, and you'll find yourself in what used to be a wine cellar; this is no place  for the claustrophobic!  The slightly cramped feeling is actually one the charms of the place, making it a small and cosy venue: narrow and long, the bar at one end, the stage at the other, and a dozen tables along both walls. The club entrance  - Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson A little bit of history of the club The Parenthèse opened in 2008 with the idea of promoting music -rock in particular, but also widening the range to other styles in Nyon. Concentrating mainly on local bands at first, the team at the Parenthèse gradually developed a network throughout the region and started hosting bands from farther afield. The walls of the Parenthèse were soon reverberating to the tunes of bands from as far away as the United States, or from slightly more exotic places like  Estonia with Ewert and the Two Dragons , who'll be 'folking' around on the 27 th of April. See  Utube video of their recent hit "Good Man Down". Promoting and sharing music - The Parenthèse philosophy. Not satisfied with  being just a bar that stages live gigs at the weekend, the Parenthèse has a philosophy of promoting and sharing music, an approach  that sometimes seems to be becoming all too rare in the world of contemporary show-business. Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson Their contacts and the reputation they've built means that this modest venue is hot on the heels of the ultra-professional rendezvous like the Eurosonics in the Netherlands, an annual and much vaunted  conference/showcase between programmers and bands. In fact about a dozen bands who played at the Parenthèse last year went on to play at  Paleo Festival the same year, with some bands also playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival or the Printemps de Bourges.  The pay check is symbolic This is what the Parenthèse has to offer to bands who come to play in Nyon, as the pay check is more symbolic than anything else in a bar where entrance is free. “ We basically provide board and lodging, pay for them to come to Nyon and for a sound engineer. But they won't get paid much else. On the other hand, the interesting part for the band is that we'll be able to put them in touch with clubs and festivals” explains Benjamin Zumstein, one of the founders of the Parenthèse and in charge of the venue's music programme. “ We all eat together before the gig, and it's a great way to share stuff and meet people. Band members also get free access to the bar all evening, which is something that you don't see much any more”. The Parenthèse is organised along voluntary lines (the association“La Parenthèse culturelle” was created last year), and  membership fees cover the expenses related to hosting, feeding and producing the bands at the venue. It is just CHF 50chf  become a member of the association, note: you don't have to be a member to go to the club or see a band. “We reckoned this was the best way to keep the spirit of sharing alive. It also means the bar itself, which is a limited company, can try and cover the bar expenses quite independently. As entrance is free, we're not actually making any money for the time being, so the idea is to try and limit the losses. The bar is open five nights a week, which means we need to pay a full time bar-tender, and there aren't that many people popping in for a drink during the week. So after the summer break this year (well yeah, it's the festival season, and people would rather go and have a drink outdoors than in a cellar!), the bar will only open from Thursday to Saturday.” Attracting a varied public  The club attracts a varied  public, ranging from teenage music fans to older people happy to come for a drink in a place where they know they'll discover new music and a truly eclectic line-up,  the Parenthèse is a fine place to go and chill out, have a drink and discover some very cool music.  La Parenthèse, Grand-Rue 22bis, Nyon. Here's a latest list of the complete line-up of  bands playing up to the summer break or see site here March 29   – No Mad (F) 31  – Se3en (CH) April 5 - Teletextiles (USA) 6  – Chloé Mons (F) 7  – Sound of Guns (UK) 13  – Jerrycan (CH) 14   - CATS ON TREES (F) 18  – The Travelling Band (UK) 19  – Maia Vidal (ESP) 20  – Joan and the Sailors (CH) 25  – Peasant (USA) 26  – Will Samson (UK) 27  – Ewert and the Two Dragons (EE) May 5  – Appletop (F) 17 – Kandle (CAN) 19  – The Deers (CH) 25  – Fog Horn (USA) Concerts are free, and usually take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The bar can be rented out this summer for private parties, the money will help continue bringing bands to Nyon and keeping the concerts free. Photo above: Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson.  The group "Owwle" at the Parenthèse.

Local Artisans Fair - Early Christmas Shopping Opportunity in Divonne this weekend Around 30 local artisans will be at the next UpMarket Markets event at L'Esplanade du Lac, Divonne-Les-Bains on Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November from 10:00-17:00  The fair will be situated by the lake and there will be lots of lovely hand crafted items on sale. Childrens' products, home furnishings, art, gifts and more. Fore more info on the designers and the creators in the group see their home page here  and their Facebook page here . Mulled Wine, turkey and cranberry sandwiches, coffee and home made cakes also on offer. "Fish invade the Museum" - Exhibition extended The current exhibition on Aquariums at the Musée du Léman has been extended until the 6th December 2015   For more details click here Cees Nooteboom in conversation at the Jan Michalski Foundation Sunday 31st October at 15:00   Photo above ©-Marzena-Pogorzaly Conversation with Cees Nooteboom  Cees Nooteboom was born in The Hague in 1933, and now lives in Amsterdam and on the island of Minorca. He is one of Europe’s most elegant stylists, novelists and travel writers whose books include Roads to Santiago (1997) All Souls’ Day (2001), The Foxes Come at Night (2011) and Roads to Berlin (2012). He has received many awards including the Dutch Literature Prize and the German Order of Merit for Roads to Berlin. More details click here   Event moderated in English by Lisbeth Koutchoumoff, journalist at Le Temps. Entrance CHF 10 Reservation required: nooteboom@fondation-janmichalski.ch

Swimming Lessons over the Easter holidays and throughout the year Clinique La Lignière in Gland is offering both group and individual swimming lessons over the Easter holidays in its indoor swimming pool. Courses run throughout the year and during school holidays. This clinic and the swimming pool is set in lovely grounds and is situated just beyond the town of Gland. The clinic also offers Aquagym classes, it has a gym, jacuzzi, sauna, offers personal training and massages for both relaxation, back treatment etc. Click here for more details Job Hunting for the over 45s in Switzerland Swiss Info has recently featured an interesting article on job hunting for the over 45's in Switzerland. Entitled  "Too old to be hired, too young to retire" it highlights the difficulty of job hunting for older workers and how that only 1% of Swiss job ads are aimed at people over 45.  Click here for the full article Local Church Services  La Côte church (in Gingins and Divonne) is holding services in English over the Easter period. Click here  for their weekly bulletin. Westlake church (in Nyon and Lausanne) also has a programme of Easter services. Click here

The next Geneva English Drama Society production is  Dancing At Lughnasa  by Brian Friel. This play has won the Olivier Award , the Tony Award , the Evening Standard Award and the New York Drama Critics Award . Synopsis below. Michael, now a young man in 1960, relives the late summer days of 1936, when music on the radio seemed miraculous, the church seemed infallible, and love briefly seemed possible for his unmarried mother and her four sisters. On the west coast of Donegal, the five brave and hardworking Mundy sisters welcome home their frail elder brother Jack, who has re-turned from a life as a missionary in Africa. The summer is made unforgettable by three arrivals: Uncle Jack, Michael’s prodigal father Gerry, and a wireless radio - the family’s one luxury. Unbeknownst to the sisters, tragic and brutal events will make this the last time the family would all be together.  They step out into the afternoon September sun to enjoy their tea, unaware that this is the best it ever will be. Cast members are:  Cathy Boyle,  Andrew Brookes, Viki Lazar, Catherine Monagle, Daire O’Doherty, Gemma Parkes, Colin Paterson and Béibhinn Regli. The play is directed by Charles Slovenski Dates - 3- 7 March  Tuesday-Friday 20:00  Saturday 19:00 Théâtre de l'Espérance, 8 rue de la Chapelle, 1207 Geneva Tickets: CHF 30 (seats numbered), students CHF 20 on presentation of student card (must be purchased at the theater on the night of the show) For more info: See GEDS To buy tickets:   See here