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Château de Prangins presents a major first: a new role-playing exhibition for families. Visitors of all ages are invited to imagine themselves as an English tourist or a young chimney-sweep from Ticino traveling around Switzerland on foot, by train or by boat.  There is a new permanent exhibition at the beautiful Château de Prangins and it comes in the form of role-play in the Castle's basement! Gone are the days museums were boring and dusty for children. The aim is to attract the youngest of publics to the museum and offer them an adventure in the form or time travel with 4 languages to select from - English, French, German or Italian. Two levels are available the first for children between the ages of 4 to 10 and the second for children as of 11 years old. Choices of roles are available and depending on the selection made, the trip takes anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes. Here is a sneak preview of the characters available on the website of the Château : - A young, 18th-century baroness called Lucie who decides to take her coach out for a picnic with her three children. - A girl called Gina from Intragna, one of many young chimney sweeps from Ticino in the 19th century, setting off to find her brother who has been taken to Milan to do the same job. - A young boy from Graubünden named Kaspar , who, at the age of 10, leaves his village of Vals in 1901 to go and work on the land in Swabia, along with thousands of other children known as Schwabenkinder. Participants discover authentic objects and travel by boat, coach, train or even a paddle steamer all whilst surrounded by authentic objects from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The curators of the exposition are Marie-Hélène Pellet et Ana Vulić. After the fun and games there is the café at the chateau for a well-deserved break. Sounds like a good idea for those of us with children and in need of a family outing on a rainy day!

This afternoon, 28th of October at 16:15 there was a new press conference from the Swiss government to inform us of new measures and restrictions implemented in an effort to curb the COVID-19 spread further. The press conference was broadcasted on the RTS where you can find more information on the new measures implemented. For the time being it has not yet been translated to English. Switzerland is currently a "hot spot" with over 8'000 new cases in 24 hours this morning. The main message was that by now we all know theoretically how to curb the spread of the virus, and there was a call to the Swiss citizens to play their part and be socially responsible when it comes to our behaviour during this pandemic. There is also a clear hope and effort to avoid a confinement as drastic as the one we experienced in March. Specifically, the new measures are the following: Public manifestations are limited to 50 people. This includes events such as weddings, sporting events, or religious gatherings. Private gatherings are limited to 10 people. These have often a source of multiple infections as precautions are less strict with familiar people Nightclubs will close Close contact sports and events of over 15 people are banned Bars and restaurants will close at 23:00 and A limit of 4 people per table at a restaurant is implemented (with the exception of single households that have a larger number) Masks will be worn in more public places (markets, parcs) Working from home is recommended whenever at all possible Higher education learning will be done remotely as of Monday The big news on testing is that the so-called rapid-tests or "test rapides" have proven to be reliable enough to roll them out. This means that they will be available in certain pharmacies, clinics, or other places as the canton decides. They give a result within 15 minutes, thereby giving much more clarity and insight and to reduce the waiting times and potential spreading of the virus in case of a positive result. There is an FAQ section regarding COVID (albeit it in French) on the swiss administration site . To all our readers, keep safe and healthy!

The city of Nyon has decided to pedestrianize its downtown area. A first test phase started on the 2nd of November by eliminating part of the transit traffic. Bus traffic and parking remain available. The commitment to "soft-mobility" in Nyon is taking shape and has been planned in several phases. The first phase that started this week consists of the following changes you may have already noticed: A meeting area for pedestrians at the end of rue de la Môrache, and on the northern section of rue de la Gare and on rue Just-Olivier. In this sector, pedestrians now have priority. Nevertheless, vehicles are authorised at 20km p/h and they should not be hindered. The sidewalk in the northern part of rue de la Gare is widened in order to maintain a secure path. The central Rue de la Gare has been or the most part pedestrianised and vehicles can no longer cross Place Saint-Martin with the exception of certain residents. A few parking spaces have been suppressed and a new signage campaign has been put in place by the police to create awareness and guarantee safety. These first measures will actively participate in revitalizing the city center by reinforcing its commercial attractiveness and will enable the population to reclaim these public spaces. New facilities and steps are foreseen for spring 2021. In the meantime, despite the shopping centres still being open and the pedestrian city centre, do remain vigilant and take the necessary COVID precautions a little longer. Wishing you all a safe and healthy day!

Toastmasters is an organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Nyon has a fantastic anglophone club of its own where its members challenge and inspire each other to become better all-round communicators. It provides an opportunity to improve public speaking skills, communication styles as well as overcome stage fright or simply improving your English skills for some. It fosters learning, self-discovery, and personal growth in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Have a look at the facebook group to get an impression. Every meeting is held in high spirits and allows for its members and guests to test out new ideas, receive valuable feedback and have a whole lot of fun. This really is thanks to the challenging and supportive environment that facilitates learning and developing skills. The club is made up of a vibrant set of international and local members from all walks of life. The large mix of professional backgrounds from the corporate business world to entrepreneurs to people simply looking for an inspiring way to meet others. This mix always provides for interesting presentations and diverse points of view. Come and visit us! Meetings are held virtually (due to the pandemic) every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month and you are welcome to attend as a guest! The next meetings are on Wednesday the 11th and the 25th of November and start at 19:30. Please contact Mandy (yes me again) as I am currently the VP of membership at the club. I will happily send you the link to join our next meeting.

Dalia Imadalou's exposition will go ahead with the sanitary requirements respected between the 30th of October and the 5th of December at the Galerie Marchande in Nyon, under the theme of "spirit of the mountain". Growing up in a family of artists in Algeria, art has always served as Dalia Imadalou’s window into her emotions and the world around her. Depictions of the natural environment feature heavily in her work as they provide her a space to contemplate; an important aspect of her creative process. Her paintings embody intuition, emotions, and a poetic interpretation of nature as she puts it. An exposition of her paintings can be seen at the Galerie Marchande in Nyon. It has been maintained and respects all the sanitary requirements. After completing her masters in Canada and France, she is now based in Nyon, sharing her artistic talents through a number of exhibitions around Switzerland, Italy and France, as well a teaching art classes at Ecole-Migros and L’Adac. Over the course of this month, Dalia Imadalou will be showcasing her work in two exhibitions, one at the Art Fair Lausanne and the second at MAG Montreux. For more information you can visit her website or follow her on Instagram @dchaouane and on facebook as Dalia Chaouane .

4 national languages, 26 cantons, rotating presidents... Inside Switzerland demystifies the confederation for us! This informative series of short articles: "Inside Switzerland" is brought to Living in Nyon thanks to Jon Wyler. It gives us some insight into our wonderfully complex and highly efficient country . Now that the history and the foundation of the country are clearer. What's with all the languages and what law applies to where? Regional differences Switzerland is commonly divided into 4 linguistic regions - German, French, Italian and Romansh . While the progressive cantonal additions and languages explain regional differences, these have been maintained because the Helvetic Confederation* was founded as an alliance originally, never a country. Someone from Geneva is likely to have more in common with a person from across the French border than from Lugano, who in turn will feel closer to someone from northern Italy. The strongest divide can be felt across the röstigraben * with Germanics often being looser in family relations and more rigid at work. The welschs*, commonly the term Swiss Germans will use to refer to the French speaking population, are considered the opposite! The Cantons Some things are national such as the military & currency (both of these only since 1848), while cantons retain a large degree of independence. This is why for example the “ Jeûne Genevois ” and the “ Jeûne Fédéral ” (the link is in French) are not on the same day, or why the following Monday is a Public Holiday in Vaud but not in Fribourg. Although strongly influenced by neighbouring cantons, border cantons are also influenced by neighbouring countries - people in Geneva say “quatre-vingt”* like France whereas those in Vaud and Fribourg say “huitante”. There are cantonal stereotypes, which in Switzerland are good-heartedly used to chide each other. Up next in the series: The Swiss values and their underlying meaning!   *The official name of Switzerland *The “rösti ditch” - an imaginary line separating the french and german speaking regions *Originally meaning “non-German speaker”, it’s the term used to describe the french speaking population by Swiss-Germans *80 ----------------------------------- There are some great movies that provide insight into the country's heritage Bienvenue en Suisse (FR) - Welcome to Switzerland Die Schweizermacher (DE) - The Swissmakers Jon Wyler is a Swiss/Luxembourg bi-national, who grew up between Geneva, Hawaii and Beijing. Hospitality-trained, he has for most of his life followed his passion working in live music production, which took him around the world. Jon recently settled on the shores of lake Neuchâtel with his German wife who’s trying to figure out the in’s & out’s of her adopted country.

"Caffè sospeso" is a "pending coffee" or a "Café suspendu". This concept allows people to pay for an extra coffee or meal that will be given to a person who cannot afford it. Nyon's La Roulotte implemented this in 2016 and allows for this wonderful initiative to grow in our area. For La Roulotte just behind the station, implementation of the concept met with some hurdles. Initially it was difficult to get the word out. Their efforts eventually paid off with a board outside the café informing the passers-by, sharing the information on social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram and simply mentioning it to those they were in contact with generated awareness. Another challenge lay in the fact that those in need, and who the "hanging" coffees and meals were meant FOR, felt uncomfortable to make use of the charitable concept. As Marine from la Roulotte states: "There are so many reasons a person may be in that situation, ranging from prolonged hardship, being temporarily down on their luck or maybe just a forgotten wallet at home. Making people feel comfortable to accept the support was not an easy feat. Nevertheless through persistence, and a friendly and open attitude we managed to get there." The fact that the café is located in open-air, and there is no door to have to walk through, helps. They are able to see when it's quiet and discreetly pass by which now happens frequently. The hanging coffee bank fills up and empties out frequently, meaning it can be considered a success. There are now more locations in Nyon offering the same service, you don't even need to leave your home to contribute! Have a look at the Suspend'us website that has brought the options together on their site. Hopefully, there will be more added to this list over time. This year has been difficult for so many people, with the winter months coming up, loneliness and isolation are heightened. We all have a part to play in our community whether it's supporting another person down on their luck, or maybe even daring to speak up when we ourselves need help.

Do you have some time to spare? would you like to meet new people and learn a few new skills? Have you considered volunteering? Many of us will easily donate to charities or support them financially, but becoming an active member of an organisation's committee or freely volunteering our time and energy is a different thing, and one less common. One of the main struggles associations face, is to find volunteers. From my experience the issue is not so much that people are not ready to volunteer, it's that it can be complicated to find where to do so. There is of course an added complication linked to the fact that if you don't speak French at all, it can make it harder still. So for those of you interested in lending a helping hand, or even also in creating a network in a specific field as well as learning some new skills, it's a fantastic option. Here are some ideas to get you started: benevoljobs.ch is website is the go-to website to see what opportunities are out there, simply select your region. Associations put the help they need on the site for free and you can apply to the ones you feel interested in. You can select English as the language but some posts will still appear in French as they have not been translated. Cartons du coeur is a wonderful Swiss-wide initiative that requires no specific language, simply your help. They deliver meals to those in need and always need more hands on deck, there is more than enough work to do. Find out all about them here , their website is clear, user-friendly and fully in English as well as many other languages. The commune of Nyon has an impressive list of associations that exist in the area and that you can access here . Most will probably be happy with extra hands people, it's always worth asking if you find one or two in your field of interest. The downside is that you see the name of the association but not much more. You will need to do some extra research to increase your knowledge of your selected options. Benevolat Vaud is an organisation that supports associations and facilitates the finding of volunteers for them amongst many other services. Have a look at their French website here . If you are unsure where your skills are best put to use, simply give them a call on 021 313 24 00 and ask for a meeting to discuss volunteering opportunities for yourself. Several of their staff speak English and they will meet you in order to discuss your specific context, and connect you with the most relevant associations directly. Wishing you all a wonderful start to the winter season heading our way!

This article reviews the changes that were made for the coworkers in the space and what is new at Atelier 9. Thank you to Roland and Jean-Marc for providing us with this article and insight on how the pandemic is affecting working trends. While the COVID-19 pandemic situation forced most companies to promote home-office, this situation is not ideal for those who need to separate personal and work environments. As a result, the concept of a coworking space has been increasingly used this year. Despite the current unstable situation, ATELIER 9 managed to successfully celebrate its second birthday on October 9th with some of their coworkers, partners, and friends! 2020 has been a special year for all of us. Here are some of the major changes ATELIER 9 went through to ensure a proper working environment to its coworkers. We are a member of Coworking Switzerland Association and regularly discuss essential topics such as the COVID-19 safety measures. 1. Social Distance : Coworking desks have been reduced from 15 to 8 with a Plexiglass separating the desks. Furthermore, one desk is left free between coworkers. 2. Tracking : Social Pass app is available at ATELIER 9 and you can check-in and out to ensure proper tracking and information flow. 3. Disinfectant : At every door of the coworking space, you will find all the supplies you need to ensure clean hands. 4. Fresh Air/door cleaning : Jean-Marc makes sure there is enough fresh air in the office by regularly opening the doors. He also and takes time to clean the doors. 5. Masks : Every individual now needs to wear a mask when moving around the working space and at each desk. New at ATELIER 9 The coworking has opened its offices to students! Offers packages for those interested in studying in Nyon instead of staying at home are now available. For them, special packages exist for weekdays as well as week-ends. What is ATELIER 9 For those who don’t know ATELIER 9 yet, it is a coworking space housed in an old building and within a stone’s throw of the Roman museum. It is completely modern and has a stylish working environment. Right in the heart of town, it is located close to the railway station, central car park and the CGN port. It provides fast Wi-Fi and comfortable desks that can be elevated to stand up while working. Projectors, screens, keyboards, computer mouses, flip charts, a laser printer, scanner, private lockers and more are available to those who need it. A lovely kitchenette area is there for those who want to take a break or catch up. For non-coworkers such as individuals, groups or organisations, the meeting room (up to 6 people in a pandemic situation) can also be rented with different pricing (half-day, full day and after 18.00). Interested in having a look around our working space? Feel free to walk in for a tour with the manager and one of the co-founders Roland Schaller. Who knows what this space will inspire you to create… The reception desk is open every day except from 12.00-13.30 and on Saturdays. Working spaces are open for business from Monday to Friday from 07:00 to midnight and on Saturdays from 08:00 – 18:00. For more information, feel free to visit the website , reach out by mail (info@atelier9.work) or phone (+41 (0)22 565 3355).

The initiative "Run for Nyon" is a sponsored run that all runners - and non-runners - can join. Sponsors pay CHF2.- per km that goes to the hospital staff as a thank you in the form of nice breakfasts or meals by local producers.What is it about? Two Nyon locals decided to support the hospital staff by launching an initiative that allows for a combination of sports and solidarity to come together. Guillaume Golay, 29 years old, is a teacher at the Nyon-Marens college . He and his friend Benoît Bryand, 28 and co-founder of Paleta Loca , are football buddies. With the pandemic putting an end to training sessions, they turned to running instead. This activity gave way to the idea of running for a cause, and so their idea for the sponsored run was born, allowing anybody that wishes to participate to join in. How does it work? If you are motivated to join in the efforts there are 2 simple ways you can participate: Sign up as a runner here . Choose how far you will run and find a few sponsors ready to pay you CHF2.- for every km you run. Sponsor a runner. Either sponsor a friend who will run or have a look on the website to sponsor one of the listed runners. Registrations for the run are possible until the 15th of December. Guillaume and Benoît themselves will run 42km on December 12th around the lake..... dressed as doctors! Anybody can sign up and you can also follow their activity on Instagram or Facebook . Good luck Guillaume and Benoît and thanks for this initiative!

Tech Spark Academy sparks children's curiosity about the digital world. It prepares them for a future reliant on computer science, and jobs that do not yet exist. This is not because they will all be computer scientists, but because they will have plenty of computer science in their lives. Learn programming, digital storytelling, or how to create apps! The fact that we are all dependant on IT and only 0.5% of the world's population knows how to code is mind-blowing. This highlights how reliant the other 99.5% of us are, on that small fraction of the population that does know how to code. Our digital lives are in their hands! With children, there is a fine line between how much exposure to computers/screens/IT to give them. We want to equip them for the future without losing them to the digital world (at least that's how I feel). Tech Spark demystifies coding and computer language. It offers children between the ages of 8-18 an opportunity to learn in an open and friendly environment . Instructors have small groups, allowing for lots of 1:1 interaction with the instructors. The skills they learn will remain useful throughout their lives. Holiday camps are available, as well as after school private lessons for up to 2 children. Why not partner with another family and enroll both children in the lesson? Our readers benefit from a CHF50.- discount with the LIN code to use upon reservation. Here are some of the types of programming TechSpark offers and a short definition of each. Python is a programming language that has a clear and easy to use code. It is a widely supported language easily adaptable to large and small scale projects. It is mostly used for web applications and web content. YouTube, Instagram and Google search are all written in Python, as are many AI applications. Fun fact: the language was named after Monty Python! Swift is a programming language developed by Apple to encourage young programmers. It is a more complex language than Python but is still simpler than traditional coding languages. Learning Swift is ideal for those that already have some knowledge of Python. This is the one that is mainly used to develop apps. Adobe digital storytelling is what those aspiring YouTubers want to learn. This class allows it's students to use and combine various elements like video, photography, editing, and storytelling skills. Instructors are students from Lausanne's prestigious engineering university EPFL (or the ETHZ if you are in eastern Switzerland). They are bilingual in English and French. Students focus on building their own projects , these are presented to the parents at the end of the course or the camp. Currently, many of the lessons are virtual due to the COVID pandemic. You can contact Tech Spark directly for any questions or for more information. The link leads you to Marta Gehring who is one of the co-founders and passionate about the topic. She will gladly provide more insight. You can also follow TechSpark on Twitter and on Instagram .

The "Corona Diaries" is a series of articles on how local people from different industries and businesses experience the pandemic. Thank you to Eden Grace for the initiative, writing the articles, and for the insight. "How has 2020 changed you?"  This year was a collective shock and a very personal experience at the same time. Social, economic and political magnitudes of this year are amply debated. But we cannot deny the emotional impacts too. This "Corona diaries" series is about how real people, living and working on La Côte, have adapted to Covid. I also wanted to know how they have allowed this period to reshape them. Thank you to Uli Van Neyghem , our first guest for her participation. As an artist, she has been fortunate enough to continue working in her field. She has found comfort in documenting the small pleasures of this strange time we are all experiencing. Uli created a Lockdown Collection called 'Here and Now'. Q: Uli, What inspired you for the collection, and what is it about? A: We have all been confronted with unprecedented times by the pandemic. Being locked down for a considerable time of the year has taken the speed out of our lives. How did that affect us? Rather than concentrating on the fear, news headlines and infection rate statistics, I needed to find upsides to keep my sanity. I asked myself whether it was possible that 2020 taught us to be more present and to live more in the moment? That we don't always have to look far and wide to find contentment? I think we can answer this question with a definite yes. Never before have there been so many people out and about in nature, rediscovering simple outdoor pleasures. Picnics and lighting a fire to roast sausages in the Jura is replacing pre-pandemic city trips or shopping sprees. Pastimes are being rediscovered. Taking the time to read a good book, the comforting pleasures of baking and cooking, or a relaxing soak in the bathtub are making a comeback. My 'Here and Now' collection explores these quiet moments. Q: How much of yourself is present in this collection? I use art to find inner peace and balance. That is visible in the serene atmospheres I create in all my paintings. The still lifes with reflections, the calm lake scenes, or the 'Here and Now' collection, for that matter. My art has also always helped me to adapt to new realities or environments. When we moved here in 2011, I started painting Switzerland-inspired themes like the surrounding landscapes or my signature collection of Swiss cows for example. It was my way of growing roots in a new place. Painting a Lockdown collection to reflect on our changing world in these unprecedented times, is my way of getting to terms with it and coping. Q: You create from a place of inner peace. How have you managed to maintain that space for yourself given the tumultuous nature of these times? I will not lie, it has not always been easy or even possible to drown out the noise of the media coverage or shake the feeling of being paralyzed. It would be easier if I was one of those artists who work off their anger or frustration by slapping paint on a canvas! We can't be positive about what is happening all of the time, I try to be kind to myself and trust my creative nature to resurface again after momentary dips. Q: What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of being an artist during the coronavirus? Not being able to physically exhibit my paintings is very difficult and requires spending a lot of time on social media to find electronic ways of presenting my art. But it does not replace the inspiring exchanges taking place during art fairs or exhibitions. I am also a co-founder of Collaborative Art ™ , offering creative team building and event experiences worldwide. Needless to say, the pandemic brought our activities in this field to a full-stop. Q: With social, cultural events and exhibitions on the back burner, do you think we value creativity and art differently? That is difficult to say. In times of crisis, culture is more important than ever. Millions of us are (semi) confined in our homes. Music, films, satire, books, and online performances represent a source of consolation and hope. Artists and museums all over the world are working hard to adapt and deliver art in more creative ways than ever. But the economic pressure is enormous. Let's not forget, a large number of people are already working with a high level of commitment but a very low level of security, especially in economic terms. There is a real danger of losing much of the richness and diversity of the regional and global cultural scene. We might not be able to recover from this 'culture shock' for many years. Initiatives to support the arts and culture sector on a governmental and political level give some cause for optimism. Whether our life remains 'colourful' and our 'spiritual food' diverse is up to our society now. Have a look at Uli's website or follow her activity on Instagram to see more of her beautiful artwork! Or contact er directly with any questions you may have:  Uli Van Neyghem