At the end of your own deployment in Northern Europe, on 17 and 18 June Nave Margottini stopped in the port of Rotterdam, before resuming navigation back to the Mediterranean.
Arrived in the Netherlands after crossing the suggestive Kiel Canal, the ship and her crew landed in the largest port in Europe, sailing through the dense merchant traffic within the characteristic channels of one of the main world seaports.
Moored near the city centre, on the second day of her layover, the unit hosted an event in favor of the Italian embassy in the Netherlands, which saw the participation of the Italian ambassador, His Excellency Giorgio Novello, and of numerous guests including local politicians, diplomatic representatives and foreign defense attachés, representatives of important international organizations based in the country and a representation of the Italian community in the Netherlands.
Guest of the event, also Andrea Stella, president of the association The Spirit of Stella Onlus and creator of the WOW (Wheels On Waves) project, with the aim of promoting respect for the rights of disabled people in the world through the journey of the catamaran "Lo Spirito di Stella", the first in the world without architectural barriers, with crews on board representatives of the world and its diversity and testimonial of the United Nations convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.For the 2023-2025 adventure, in order to demonstrate that if you can cross the ocean even by breaking down the architectural and mental barriers that limit the rights of persons with disabilities, the possibility of participation is envisaged for Defense personnel, who have been disabled for various reasons over the years, in some of the 80 scheduled stages.The project will come to light on July 1, with departure from Genoa in the company of ship Vespucci, which will start its world tour at the same time. The passionate presentation of the Andrea Stella involved and thrilled all the guests present on the flight deck of the Nave Margottini, giving even more value to the policy that has always been adopted by the Defense and the Navy of "leaving none of its employees behind".
In the following morning the unit then released the moorings and returned to the sea, plowing the Atlantic waves towards Lisbon, where it will stop to refine the last details for the participation in the Portuguese exercise Contex / Phibex - within the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR) activated for the occasion – before directing for the subsequent return to La Spezia, scheduled for next July 3rd.
