The Maiden
September 20, 2026
There is something about islands that I find irresistible… So incredibly exotic. And sexy.
The humidity… The salt… That sticky breeze that kisses your lips and skin so naughtily. It’s like a fantasy world where magic is never subtle…
Venice is like a classy old lady you can never quite know… She keeps millions of stories you’re just dying to hear, if only she trusted you enough to share them… Somehow, this woman has never lost her beauty, her spell, or — most importantly — her mystery.
Deep in her ancient heart, the Bride of the Sea runs a rather strict house: anything too fast, too abrupt, or too violent will not be tolerated. Cars, motorcycles, scooters — the lady simply won’t have them. It’s a perfectly functioning world, operating on a logic all its own — distinctly feminine, if you ask me… Like any real woman, she has been veery selective about what she’ll let in…
Then, there is Lido — Venice’s glamorous alter ego. The beaches, the grand hotels, the cars, the cinema, the red carpets. This is where La Serenissima lets herself be seen in public, under the flashbulbs.
But, of course, this is Italy… land of ancient cities, great art, and the original mafiosi.
So, expect a scam like you’d expect rain in London…
Lola’s first Venetian welcome was very traditional: she got pickpocketed right there on the street.
Her second Venetian affair, this time with me in tow, opened with the two of us hauling suitcases stuffed with more than a hundred dresses and outfits over centuries-old stone calli — only to arrive and discover our reservation existed exclusively on Booking.com.
Or, in less diplomatic terms… Did. Not. Exist.
So, naturally, we called the police, naively assuming that a payment made to an actual human being might leave behind some revolutionary modern invention known as a trace.
Apparently not.
There was, we were told, essentially nothing the Carabinieri could do…
Suddenly, being a criminal looked attractively uncomplicated and consequence-free. You do your “job”… The Carabinieri shrug. And the world just keeps spinning…
And so we stood there on the street, in the middle of the night… Homeless in Venice at possibly the busiest moment of the year: the Film Festival.
Oh, did I mention it was also my birthday? My new year was off to a spectacular start!
And again, we dragged suitcases weighing approximately three Lolas and two Kikis through the tiny old streets of the Queen of the Adriatic, looking for anywhere that might take us for the night.
We ended up at a two-star hotel… Picture me now taking a shower with two plastic bags tied around my feet because, with my OCD, walking barefoot on a hotel floor ranks right up there with washing my face with toilet water.
Glamour, baby…
Anyway, somewhere between the bridges, the dresses, the Film Festival and my extravagant shower footwear, Virgo had secretly tucked away my birthday present: clarity. This year, my wish had been granted… only for me to realize I didn’t want it.
Before coming here, I was ready to move to Zurich. Then came an even better opportunity to move to Paris and work in styling. For a moment, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted.
Turns out, I didn’t…
And therein lies the beautiful truth: I’m no longer a little girl looking for her place in the world… I am now a grown woman, perfectly capable of building her own. I can no longer keep showing up at someone else’s party. I think it’s time I hosted mine.
Ironically, it took the City of Masks for me to finally see beyond the disguise…
And what better way to honor Virgo, the Maiden, than with a new venture and another ambitious plan already under construction?
Thank you for reliving this moment with me!
See you next Sunday at 4.
Love, Kiki