City guide: Florence

No wonder Bella Firence was a highlight of the Grand Tour taken by 19th-century upper-class young gentlemen, who would spend several months here enjoying its treasures. No wonder it’s long been at the top of most tourists’ must-see cities list, too.

Once visited, Florence is never forgotten, but after you’ve filled a few days seeing its best-known attractions on a classic city break – the Uffizi Gallery and elegant Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Michelangelo’s marvellous David at the Accademia, the delightful Boboli Gardens and picturesque Ponte Vecchio across the River Arno – there is more.

These extra attractions aren’t exactly secrets, of course, but the exact location of our first “alternative” activity actually was a mystery, at least to us tourists.

Macchia the dog knew exactly where she was though, and why she was there. First thing in the morning, we’d been picked up by a 4x4 and driven from our gorgeous hotel, Orient-Express’s Villa San Michele, to an unidentified wood somewhere near San Miniato, a small settlement between Florence and Pisa.

In the middle of nowhere, we met up with Giampiero Montanelli, our host for the next few hours – and a psychologist. Unclipping Macchia from her lead, he pointed towards a forest path and we set off into the unknown, hot on the eager pooch’s furry heels.

Our quarry, in case you hadn’t guessed, was that gourmand’s favourite, the truffle, the white variety to be precise.

This so-called “gem of the earth” is one of nature’s wonders, just a few slivers of which can turn an ordinary dish such as scrambled eggs into a taste explosion on the tongue.

They are weird: they have roots and no leaves but have an exquisite scent, especially if you’re a pig, which used to be sent off into the undergrowth to sniff them out. Unfortunately, they also usually gobbled them up before humans could get their hands on them, so these days, man’s best friend is trained to locate them instead. A truffle dog loves his master – or mistress – so much, he can be persuaded not to wolf them down.

“It’s a game for the dog,” Giampiero explained, as he pushed bits of truffle into toy balls which he then hid in the shrubbery while Macchia wasn’t looking. “Hunter and dog have to be in harmony and understand each other very well. After all, at the end of the day, only dogs can find and dig out the truffles.”

A call and a signal and Macchia set off on the hunt to prove it.

We were not hopeful even she, a truffle dog of some renown, could deliver, despite her undoubted enthusiasm. It was pretty much the end of the white truffle season and aficionados had probably already picked up every last piece.

“Truffle hunting can be done all year except in May,” Giampiero explained as we watched Macchia zooming around.

“From September to December we can find the tartufo bianco (white truffle), the most valued type, from January to April tartufo bianchetto or marzuolom (March truffle or lesser white truffle) and last but not least, the tartufo scorzone (black summer truffle) in April and June.

“Besides shape, feel and colour, they differ in odour and strength of flavour,” he added.

The woodland stroll in our secret location was a lovely way to spend a few hours, spotting wild flowers and naming beautiful trees among twittering birds. Macchia seemed to be having the time of her life, too – and, against all odds, dug up a cherry tomato-sized scrap of truffle, clever puppy.

We learned how to use truffles during a cooking lesson back at our hotel. Villa San Michele, on a hilltop in Fiesole with stupendous views over Florence, has an excellent restaurant, The Loggia, but it also offers guests the chance to learn some culinary skills of their own at its marvellous cookery school.

Themes include, new this year, The Sweet Circus, which focuses on desserts, and a one-day Truffle and Gastronomy course. Guests can also enjoy an introduction to food and wine pairing by the hotel’s sommelier after cookery classes and learn which wines best complement the dishes they have made, and why.

For our morning’s lesson, executive chef Attilio di Fabrizio showed us how to make pasta with a simple truffle sauce. “A morning with the chef allows guests to take a piece of Italy back home that they can share with their relatives and friends,” he said.

There can be few things more satisfying than making your own tagliatelle – even I managed, and I’m a bad cook. The aromas produced by six sizzling saucepans full of buttery truffle was amazing too.

Scents of a different kind awaited us at the fascinating Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, a fantastic pharmacy founded by Dominican monks and housed in a frescoed 13th-century chapel on Via della Scala.

Inside, on a “backstage” tour, we learned all about how the pharmacy produces exquisite toiletries, including perfumes, soaps, lotions and potions. The pharmacy shop opened in 1612, so this year is celebrating its 400th anniversary with some special products, so we had to take home some of the pot pourri – absolutely divine – and gorgeous body lotion, expensive but an affordable treat.

Sadly, my budget does not run to Gucci, so we were strictly window shopping in the new Gucci Museo. The three-storey museum, housed in the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia in Piazza della Signoria, was created to commemorate Gucci’s 90-year anniversary, and includes a permanent exhibition about the legendary fashion house, contemporary art installations, shops and a café (www.gucci.com).

I’m not very artistic, but can still appreciate a masterpiece when I see one. New this year, Villa San Michele can arrange for guests to discover how frescoes are created with a local craftsman. You visit the countryside studios of an artist who uses the same techniques employed by Renaissance artists to create masterpieces. The artist will show guests how he prepares the plaster then paints directly onto it – fresco painting demands incredible speed and confidence, with little room for error.

After the master class, you enjoy traditional Tuscan snacks of delicious crostini misti – that’s yummy bread, liver pate, tomatoes, garlic, cold meats – and a nice glass of chianti overlooking the beautiful landscape. Now eating’s something I’m very good at…

THE FACTS: Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Edinburgh to Pisa. A 40-minute cab ride from Florence, costs from £30.99 one way. Rooms at Villa San Michele cost from e483 per night B&B; truffle cooking school e242pp; half-day truffle hunt e50pp (plus cost of transportation to San Miniato). Tel: Orient-Express on 0845 077 2222 or visit www.villasan michele.com