I stepped off my yacht, feeling a surge of exhilaration. I had just sailed around Spain and France, and now I was in Italy, ready to explore its wonders. I glanced at my phone, where I had saved the contact of my guide, Benita. I had spoken to her briefly on the phone, and she had sounded like a typical travel agent: knowledgeable, but bored. She had probably seen hundreds of tourists like me, and had no enthusiasm for showing me around. I wondered what she looked like. Maybe she wore glasses and a dull suit, and had a tired expression on her face.