ExtraVirgin Food & Travel

A little different, this one - just like my guest (and friend) Carmel Ruggeri, an Australian-Sicilian and former restaurateur turned tour guide.

If you listened to the previous ExtraVirgin Food and Travel episode with Rubia Daniels, who bought 3 houses in Mussomeli in Sicily, your interest in the region may well have been piqued.

This episode will answer your questions about this very unique part of Italy - from the places you shouldn't miss, to the hand signs you should, never ever use, to the regional food specialities you just have to try.

Carmel tells it how it is, with humour and refreshing honesty, her love of Sicily shining through in this entertaining episode.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Postcards, we visit Nice, on France's beautiful Côte d'Azur.

Our guest, Madelyne Prowse takes us on a colourful and delicious tour of her adopted home town; from the seaside promenade to hiking trails in the hills; secret beaches to the best beach bars. She shares with us her favourite places to eat, drink and how to best experience Nice like a Niçoise.

You've probably seen something about it on the news - Italian towns offering 1 Euro houses for sale.

If you were an Italophile, it may have given you pause - the optimist in you imaging a life of long lunches beneath a trellis of vines, before you dimissed the offer as too good to be true.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel, we talk with Rubia Daniels ,who spent the grand total of 3 euro on not just one, but 3 properties in the town of Mussomeli in Sicily.

What exactly are the strings? How much are you likely to end up spending? How difficult is the process? And most importantly, can you really live la dolce vita for 1 euro?

Our ExtraVirgin postcard this episode wings its way to you from beautiful Byron Bay on Australia's east coast - home to Hemsworths, hippies, and our guest, Georgia Bateman.

A Londoner by birth, Georgia, who had been based in Sydney, came for a weekend, fell in love and never left.

In this postcard, she explains the magnetic pull of Byron - from its laid back lifestyle to superb surf breaks. We hear about her favourite things to do and her top picks of where to eat, drink and party.

So whether you're planning a trip, or just armchair travelling, let this ExtraVirgin Postcard take you away.

Imagine if the view from your workplace was of palm trees and the Coral Sea? That's the good fortune of Nick Holloway, chef-ower of Nu Nu Restaurant in tropical north Queensland.

Nick left big-city Melbourne searching for authenticity and found it in spades in this lush, laidback village of Palm Cove, north of Cairns.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel, we talk to Nick about the unique produce and producers of the tropical north, what it's like to cook in paradise, the meaning of "barefoot luxury," and much more.

It's best known as the home of iconic wineries such as Penfolds and Seppelt, but there's so much more to South Australia's capital, Adelaide than its wineries (or its churches!)

Our local, for this episode of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel's "Postcard" is food and travel writer Amanda McInerney, who shares with us her favourite festivals, walks, restaurants, markets, cultural events and, yes wineries, as well as some great insider tips (caviar and vodka trolley anyone?)

If you're planning on visiting this beautiful city, you'll want to take notes - because you couldn't get a more knowledgeable or generous virtual guide than Amanda. But even if you're just armchair travelling, sit back and enjoy this Postcard from Adelaide.

If you listened to episode 64 of ExtraVirgin Food & Travel Podcast, "Love in the Time of Covid," you'll be familiar with Monique Ceccato's story.

Not long after that episode went live, Monique and her love, Espen were parted again, separated by the Covid regulations of their respective countries. She, on a plane back to Australia, while he remained in Norway.

In this episode we follow up with Monique to find out the fate of their long-distance relationship, in a time when you can no longer just jump on a plane.

On this episode of ExtraVirgin Food and Travel, our postcard comes from sunny Brisbane. Australia's third largest city has been the home of freelance writer Jennifer Johnston for most of her life.

Jen shares with us her favourite walks and cycling routes, its galleries, book stores, the best places to enjoy a cocktail or beer with city views and much more.

So, whether you're planning a future trip, or just armchair travelling, let this postcard take you away.

Have you every dreamed about owning a gorgeous country cottage, historic chateau or sophisticated city pad in France?

Suzanna Clarke, a New Zealander formerly based in Australia, has made her home in Fez in Morocco, splitting her time between there and France since 2007 when she bought her first apartment in Bordeaux. Having just added to her property portfolio with a sprawling country property, she's intending to move there with her husband and children soon.

In this episode of ExtraVirgin, Natascha Mirosch talks to Suzanna about the pleasures and pitfalls of property ownership in France.

They talk about the best (and worst) value regions, how much you'll actually need to buy something, what to beware of and much more.

This episode of ExtraVirgin Postcard wings its way to you from the beautiful tourist hotspot of the Gold Coast, on Australia's east coast. Our guest, Karen Inglis runs food tours from her home suburb of Burleigh, so she's perfectly placed to give us all the intel on the best places to eat and drink.

Karen also tells us about the Gold Coast's cool green hinterland and its famous beaches, where to go for panoramic views, seafood fresh from the trawler and much more.