I was a bit nervous this morning. But after I had found a suitable short sleeve tee shirt. (Most of my tee shirts have long sleeves.) I set off to the vaccination centre. It was at the other side of town.

There were a lot of people sitting and standing around the sports centre where the vaccinations were being done. There was no obvious queue. The second person I asked was easier to understand, but to be honest I didn’t really get what was to happen. However I realised that we had the same appointment time.

It was quite hot so I decided to sit down. After my near fainting experiences last summer I ‘m being careful. But I had barely sat down when a helpful lady waved to me to come back. A man in a green jacket had come out of the dome . 4 or 5 of us were given tickets with numbers on them and I followed the others inside and sat down near them. (It is entirely possible that I had accidentally jumped what passes for a queue.)

I looked around . It was a big space and was divided up into 2 sets of chairs and then the other half of the area was screened off. A man sat at a desk in the middle. He started calling out numbers and some people went up from my side and then after speaking to him they moved over to a chair on the other side.

Every now and again there was a voice shouting ” Avanti” from behind the screen. Then the man in the middle would call out a number and someone from the chairs on the other side would hand their number card to him and disappear behind the screen.

When my number was called I was asked if it was my first time and then given 4 forms to fill in. I was really hoping I would understand them. Mostly I did. And I must have filled in all that was necessary as he checked them, asked if I had a tessera di sanitario and then told me to sit down.

I thought that was the worst part over. I understood that when my number was called that I would go behind the screen. It went all the way across the dome .

Eventually it was my turn and handed my card to the man at the table and went behind the screen.

There were several tables with computers and somebody waved me over to one of them . I sat down and answered a few more questions including, ” was I pregnant? ” that made me laugh. Then I was directed to a sort of cubicle where a nurse ,who I think knew me and I recognised, told me to sit down, gave me a form saying when my next vaccination would be and then asked which arm I wanted injected. I said” the right one as I was left handed” And it really didn’t hurt. I was so surprised.

She told me to go and sit in the waiting area behind for 15 minutes and then I could go home.

And that was it.

It feels a big deal. Like some new normal might be about to begin again. My second vaccination is on the 2nd of July so by the middle of July I will be as safe from the virus as I am ever going to be.

I didn’t do much else today apart from write the prologue to my diary. Next week I plan to chose photos for each month. My birthday gift to myself is to finish it.

Now I am glad to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine. At least I know where to go next time even if I will never understand Italian queues.

Cheers🍷🍷