It all started on Sunday, October 10, 2021...
We started our 7th children's and youth trip to Formia, Italy, where we stayed until Monday, October 18.
Twenty-two children and young people aged between 4 and 18 took part in our trip this year, spending exciting and thrilling days under the Italian sun together with our partners Officina Dei Venti, Centro Velico Vindico, and Armando.
After arriving by plane, we took a bus to our accommodation, the Olympic training center in Formia, C.O.N.I. There, we first set up our rooms in our own "little house."
Starting the next morning, we engaged in activities such as sailing, catamaran sailing, canoeing, and windsurfing. We also cleaned up trash on the beach and visited the playgrounds in the area.
In the afternoons and evenings, we usually hung out at the large C.O.N.I. sports facility. We played paddle tennis, jumped on the trampoline, romped around in the large sports hall, and played foosball and table tennis.
Incidentally, athletes from all over the world train here, right here among us, to prepare for competitions and the Olympic Games.
On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, we had a birthday celebration in our group. We celebrated in the afternoon with a lively party featuring cake and dancing.
Afterwards, we were even allowed to use the swimming pool and the ice bath. That was particularly exciting.
On Thursday, we went on our big trip to Rome. We took our bus to the Foro Italico, where we learned a lot about the origins of the Olympic Games and the construction of the Foro Italico. We were able to refresh our knowledge in a quiz and received a certificate. We are now "Rome experts."
After a picnic on the bus, we took a stroll through Rome. We explored sights such as the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.
After boarding the bus again at 6:00 p.m. for the return trip, we arrived back at C.O.N.I. shortly after 8:00 p.m. for a late dinner.
Speaking of food:
We ate three times a day at the C.O.N.I. restaurant. Breakfast was a buffet with all kinds of options. Lunch and dinner consisted of several courses (a choice of three pasta dishes and three main courses), plus antipasti, dessert, and fruit.
After all these wonderful experiences, we soon had to pack our bags again, because time flew by.
However, we didn't want to disappear without a trace. So we planned a big closing party at our Lido "Officina dei Venti."
As it had been all week, the weather was on our side again, and the sun was shining brightly.
We danced, sang karaoke, watched a dance performance by the older girls, and celebrated exuberantly until late in the evening. Of course, there were also plenty of treats and drinks, such as Fanta, Sprite, and various juices.
On the morning before our departure for Berlin, we received our certificates from the FIV in a festive ceremony and played one last time on the grounds before the bus picked us up at 3:00 p.m. and drove us to the airport in Naples.
After a quiet and relaxed return flight, we landed at BER late in the evening at 10:30 p.m. and were happy to see and greet our families again.