Let’s have a brief intermission from the travel posts (another one is probably coming tomorrow or the day after, I already wrote half of it).

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I’m currently staying in Sweden, although this is my last week. I came to a town called Linköping (the k is pronounced tch) for some exchange work with the local Ericsson office.

The commute between the hotel where I’m staying in the office can be a bit long, as I need to take two busses and their schedules aren’t always a nice match. Today, while coming back, the second bus would only arrive in 13 minutes — since it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the hotel, I decided to get a bit of exercise instead of waiting around in the bus terminal.

Along the way, I passed in front of Saab Arena and noticed several people were going inside. A hockey match, perhaps? Or a concert?

The signs showing it was a vaccination center.

No, the arena lobby was being used as a vaccination center for the newly updated Covid Omicron vaccines. “That’s great”, I thought, “perhaps we’ll get it in Italy soon as well”.

But then I remembered this is Europe and sometimes there is some unity to this Union. So I went inside to ask if I can also get a shot — after all, the worst that could happen is they would say no and I would take it back in Italy.

I asked someone, who asked someone, who asked someone, and they told me it’s possible for me to get the shot, but I need my passport. I wasn’t carrying it at the moment, so I said I would return in about half an hour with it.

The waiting area inside Saab Arena.

When I came back, I waited for a bit and a woman said she would make an “F-nummer” for me, since I had never used Swedish healthcare before. If I ever go to a hospital in Sweden, they said, I should show them that number. Duly noted; I have it written down in my notes app for future reference.

With the F-nummer in hand, she guided me to a nurse, who asked the standard questions — when was my last dose, did I get any reactions, do I have any allergies, do I have any chronic disease. With everything okay, I received my fouth dose, from Pfizer this time.

After that I just sat for about 15 minutes and I could head on home. Hopefully I don’t get a bad reaction tomorrow, but we’ll see :)

My new vaccination card, in Swedish.