Looking for some expert advice on Tuscany? Then pick up a copy of Barbara Milo Ohrbach's latest tome, “Dreaming of Tuscany” (Rizzoli). This intrepid traveller has written over 20 best-selling lifestyle books, and has a lifetime of travel and shopping experience. Ohrbach started her career as a fashion industry executive, which kickstarted her passion for art and antiques. She and her husband, Mel, later opened a small Manhattan shop to sell off years of accumulated collections. The shop, Cherchez, was an immediate success and led to the publication of Ohrbach's first book, the now classic “The Scented Room” in 1986.

In “Dreaming of Tuscany,” Ohrbach reveals where to find the perfect hilltowns, splendid palazzos, rustic farmhouses, luxurious hotels and fabulous shops. This book is Ohrbach's little black book of secret discoveries and favourite spots around Tuscany, and includes her top picks for gardens, the best cooking schools, and a guide to Florence as well.

What is the last place you visited, and where is the next place you're going?
I just returned from a trip to Italy--southern Tuscany and Florence. Next month I'm off to San Francisco, the Napa Valley and Los Angeles to start my book tour.

When you need to relax and get away from it all, where do you go?
We've always been partial to Venice.  There, we avoid things too familiar in New York--loud noise, car horns and exhaust and the hectic pace of city life all while enjoying great museums, wonderful Italian food, fabulous shopping, proximity to the treasures of the Veneto and the captivating peace of the sea.

What are your favourite cities for shopping?
Having just finished my new book, “Dreaming of Tuscany”, I'd have to say my current favourite is Florence. I started out in the fashion industry as a sportswear buyer and then had my own trend-setting shop, Cherchez, for almost 25 years, travelling to Europe several times a year, so I usually find something fabulous to buy everywhere I go. In addition to Florence, I would have to include London, Hong Kong, Paris, Helsinki and my home town, New York City.

Are you bargain hunter or an impulse buyer?
Both””how could one not be? I'm always looking for that unexpected treasure which is there if you develop your eye.  All the better if it is affordable. I love buying several of a really terrific find and surprising my friends with an unexpected gift””especially if it is something someone collects.

What is your favourite item that you have purchased when travelling?
This is a hard question since my favourite item is usually the last thing that I have bought! I just found the most elegant hand woven linen herringbone patterned shawls wrapped in Kraft paper and tied with string and a silver Tuscan seal that I bought for Christmas gifts in southern Tuscany. So chic and so Italian. I discovered some beautiful Art Deco bracelets recently at the antiques market in Arezzo. I love silk scarves and have found some of the best ones, including vintage Hermes, in Paris at resale shops and the Marche au Puce.

And what item do you regret buying?
I have never regretted buying anything and have enjoyed every purchase. I sometimes regret spending so much money or being too indulgent.

What is your favourite hotel and why?
There are so many hotels I love staying in that it is hard to pick just one. The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Bel Air in Los Angeles, the Four Seasons Hualalai on the island of Hawaii, the Merrion Hotel in Dublin and Glin Castle in Limerick, Claridges and the Connaught my old favourites in London, and two heavenly discoveries listed in my book””Palazzo Niccolini in Florence and La Suvera, a sumptuous haven south of Siena.

Let's talk about Tuscany. What are some of your favourite  stores there?
Tuscany which includes, of course, Florence has some of the best shopping on the planet. It's because there are so many artisans whose families for generations have been creating the most beautiful things, from the obvious gorgeous leathers, such as shoes, bags and gloves to metalwork, frames, mosaics, pottery and textiles for the home. Some of my favorites are:

- Carlo Fagiani, Panzano,  who makes hand made shoes from the most luscious soft colorful leather.

-Ceramiche Rampini, Radda in Chianti, not your everyday pottery. Beautiful shapes decorated with Tuscan flowers and animals--absolutely charming.

-Neltempo, Radda in Chianti, everything hand crafted for the home including fresco painting painting in the ancient technique of marmorino.

-Hortus Mirabilis, Bagno Vignoni, lovely herbal lotions and potions.

-Fidia Cappelli, Montechiello, beautiful hand woven bed and table linens.

-Le Sorelle, Lucca, beautiful tabletops.

The rest are in Florence, currently my favourite place to find unique things:

-Antico Setificio Fiorentina, luxurious fabrics made from centuries old designs.

-Lorenzo Villoresi, heavenly, custom made perfumes and oils.Tharros, costume copies of Renaissance jewels.

-Lungarno Details, Ferragamo home design store.

-Scuolo del Cuoio, the famous leather school still makes beautiful accessories and handbags.

-Paolo Pagliai and Pampaloni, two different silver stores where the Florentines go for impeccable craftsmanship and wedding gifts.

What are your favourite gourmet food shops in Tuscany?
In Florence:

Baroni Alimentari in the Mercato Centrale, special food and extra special olive oil

Olio and Convivium, gourmet everything plus nice restaurant;

I Sapori del Chianti, cheese and wines. 

Greve: La Pizzicheria, putting together a delicious picnic; Antica Macelleria Falorni, traditional salami and sausages.

Panzano: Antica Macelleria Cecchini, wonderful meats and herbs.

Buonconvento: Il Cantiniere Ghiotto, local food specialties. If you like to eat, don't miss the Renaissance town of Pienza. It is not only beautiful but “ the ideal city” is filled with gourmet food stores many featuring the famous pecorino cheese of southern Tuscany in all its incantations. The addresses are in my book.

 What are some of the most exquisite museums in Tuscany that you have discovered- and the ones which most people tend to overlook?
My list would go on for pages, so I'll just focus on Florence. You walk by the Uffizi with a line of people that seems to go on for miles, while the following museums are almost empty and filled with treasures that will take your
breath away: Museo della Porcellana, the porcelain museum at the top of the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace; Museo dell' Opera del Duomo contains astonishing treasures including construction materials for Brunelleschi's Dome; the Horne Museum, Renaissance art in a 15^th century palazzo; the Bargello Museum, finest collection of Renaissance sculpture in the world; the Ferragamo Museum, fabulous vintage shoes by appointment.  

What- and where- are some of the most beautiful secret gardens in Tuscany?
Tuscany has some of the most beautiful and interesting gardens in the world--there are over 1000 of them. In Chapter 2, “Beyond the Gates--Inside Tuscan Gardens” I list some favourites that are open to the public. They include the Roseto Botanico di Cavriglia with over 6000 varieties of roses open only one month a year when they are in bloom; La Foce, a romantic garden designed by Cecil Pinsent for Iris Origo who wrote the moving War in Val d'Orcia; and Villa Gamberaia, an intimate jewel like garden with breathtaking views of Florence.

Finally, what do you always pack when travelling abroad?
This should be my next book because everyone always asks how I manage to look chic when I pack in such a tiny suitcase. The secret is picking a dark colour like black, navy or grey and coordinating everything around it. Use interesting accent colours like, for example, bright chartreuse with black, navy with brown, and tan with grey. Add great accessories like soft cashmere shawls, terrific belts and fun costume jewellery that lift everything up. And be merciless about shoes, especially since you know in your heart you will buy a pair or two in your travels. I usually pack flats, walking shoes with a wedge, ballerinas and boots/sandals depending on the season. Count on using laundering services at your hotels along the way. It may be pricey, but in the end it saves a lot of room.

Click here for Barbara Milo Ohrbach's address book 

Photo © Simon Upton