Big Day

When Meagan was growing up and I was taking care of all things logistical and organizational, she took to referring to me as her Personal Winnie. You should have seen the scheduling spreadsheet when she was applying and auditioning at colleges. In recent years, she now relies on her Personal Carolyn. But today, the Personal Winnie has experienced her greatest achievement to date.

In earlier posts, I explained about the challenges of getting vaccinated here in Portugal. The biggest roadblock has been not having either a residency card or a National Health number. Obtaining both of these has been delayed by the lockdown from January through March.

However, today, we just went to the vaccination site and were able to talk (or actually point) our way through the bureaucracy, long lines, and language barrier. We brought every possible document to demonstrate that we have followed the rules and made every effort that was suggested.

The result is that both Will and I have our first dose of the Pfizer vaccine coursing through our veins. We also have a documented appointment for the second jab on July 19. We will leave shortly to go across the street to Grelhas, our favorite seaside restaurant to celebrate. It is hard to imagine what the Personal Winnie will do to top this one. We are, needless to say, very pleased. This means that our plans to travel in the EU are starting to come into focus. Our meeting with Portuguese immigration is scheduled for August 16. Once that is done, we will have our residency card and will be able to travel as EU residents.

Last Saturday, we met friends and watched the Portugal - Germany football game at an outdoor seating area. The outcome of the game was disappointing but we enjoyed the sangria and, later, a lovely gelato dessert. After all of that, we came home and enjoyed the evening view from our veranda with our little fairy lights. Life is good -- and vaccinated -- here in Cascais.