Our only concern about getting vaccinated in the U.S. was if and how we would be able to get an EU Covid vaccination certificate.
On Monday, June 7, El Marido had a doctor’s appointment. The doctor put his vaccine info from our trip to Texas into the computer system, but he told us to call the hotline to be sure it got entered. So I called. The nice English-speaking lady told me that as long as our doctor had put it in, we were good. I asked about eventually getting a Covid passport, since we were vaccinated in the U.S. and she said it would have to come from the U.S. I told her they had no plans to do a vaccine passport, and she reiterated that the passport had to come from the country that issued the vaccines. Sigh.
In the meantime, El Marido had gotten two other notifications for vaccines that he hadn’t noticed. The last one was for the J&J one dose.
On June 8, a friend posted in our Corona-Geddon Support group the link to get a Digital Certificate in Valencia. Friends started trying to get their certificates – supposedly available within 24 hours of the second dose. But government web sites being what they are in Spain, most had difficulties. Friends who could get clear access downloaded and sent back to others who couldn’t….it takes a village!
In mid-July, a friend took her U.S. vaccine record to the medical center and they called a few days later to tell her she should be able to get her passport from the portal after the 1st. So I gathered all of our paperwork to take in to the health center.
On July 16, we traipsed to the health center and got a cita for information. The clerk looked at our packets requesting Covid passports, nodded, made copies to give to us, folded the originals and put them in someone’s box, and told us we’d get a call.
The next day, friends told us they got their certificates in a day from the Campoamor health center. So our friend in the city center checked, and hers was already there – no waiting until August 1!
So I checked – and ours were there!!!! Note: As of this posting, we still haven’t gotten phone calls telling us our passports are ready – one month later!
After getting our Covid vaccines in Texas, we were ready to resume our Covid-interrupted travel. We started small: a 2-night train trip up the coast to Valencia. A friend stayed with Bravo, who uncharacteristically hid her socks so she couldn’t leave the apartment…
The world has returned to normal: Todd caught a girl trying to get into my backpack and lit into her on the sidewalk. She feigned ignorance, with her head buried in her phone. A guy popped out of the garage entrance to commiserate with us; we’re guessing he was her handler. If she had gotten in, she would only have been able to get a baggie of face masks…
We asked the desk clerk at our hotel to recommend a good non-Spanish-food restaurant nearby. She sent us to the Colón mercado, a modernized market area filled with food stalls on the top floor and several highly recommended restaurants on the bottom floor.
And we realized that we can easily train to Valencia for lunch and back any time we crave sushi.
Heading back to Alicante, we arrived at the Valencia Nord train station an hour before our train. Had a coke and a snack. Took turns lapping the station. Train still not posted. It finally occurred to me to check the tickets – we were supposed to be at the other station. Hustled out and to the bus stop, then REALLY hustled to get to our train. We made it with less than minute to spare.
Note to self: We REALLY need to remember to double and triple-check each other with all of our travel bookings.
As April began, our friends began to be vaccinated. But we figured we would be later in the summer. So we registered for vaccinations in Texas, and in less than two weeks we both received notification that we were scheduled for vaccines at Texas Motor Speedway:
We got notification on Sunday – shots on Saturday – begin frantic planning!
We set up our train trip to Madrid, with an overnight hotel stay before our direct flight to DFW. We arranged for a COVID test at the Madrid airport – more expensive than getting one done locally, but easier for us at that point logistically. Told the fam we were coming, arranged to borrow a car, packed up Bravo for beach camp with his other parents, and started making lists and gathering stuff.
Because we’re American, and the station is only two blocks away, we got to the train station too early, but our train was already there, 25 minutes before departure. That gave us time to get bags settled and hang out on the platform for a bit, where it was cooler.
Renfe gifted us with a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a wipe:
We knew the meal car on the train would be closed, so we loaded up snacks: nuts, crackers, apple slices, Laughing Cow, water. Then we were scolded for not wearing our masks while we ate. Turns out you’re supposed to sneak the food under your mask via your chin, leaving the mask in place while you chew.
We had received an alert that exiting Atocha is different in the Time of Covid, but our transfer to the airport train was the same, and we shared that information with others who would be flying to the U.S. soon:
Head upstairs, then turn left before you get to the main terminal to access Tren Aeropuerto T4.
Scan the QR code from your train ticket to get a mini-ticket for the airport transfer. There is always a helpful RENFE employee there if you can’t figure it out.
Use that ticket to scan into the transfer area – keep the ticket handy; you will need it to exit at the airport.
Ride the elevator down to the platform level, then go to the farthest platform.
The trains come every 10 minutes or so, so no need to rush.
The trip takes about 35 minutes, with several stops.
When you arrive at Airport Terminal T4, you will need to scan your mini ticket to exit.
New COVID protocols: You have to show your airline ticket to enter the terminal area. Our email confirmation on the phone was enough.
Then take the elevator on the left to floor 2, where the ticketing desks are.
We followed the signs to COVID testing – it’s in the old business center to the left of security. We had made an appointment online for an antigen test, scheduled for 18:25, but we got there about 15:30 and were able to get in and “upgrade” to a PCR test because we were nervous that an antigen test wouldn’t be enough – turns out that it would have been for American Airlines, flying direct to DFW. Stopovers in Europe require a PCR test.
The next morning, we got to the airport about 3 hours before our flight. The ticket agent was in place. We showed her our test results (received via email about 6 hours after we took them) and that was that.
The whole check-in process was easy-peasy: no lines, no waiting; we glided through security and check-in and never had to show our test results again.
There were only 30 people (mas o menos) on our flight – no one was sitting in economy. We were in Premium Economy, and we had the whole center row to ourselves, so we piled our junk between us. We wore our masks the entire flight, except for meal times. The food was actually the best airline food I’ve had in I can’t remember when – guess it can be when you’re only feeding 10% of your usual load.
When we arrived at DFW, no waiting at passport control or customs. Granted, we have Global Entry, but we wouldn’t have had to wait anyway. No one asked for COVID test results at any point.
Our vaccine appointment was at 9:30 Saturday. We pulled up and checked in. She had me roll down the passenger window. We turned in our paperwork: we won the prize for farthest traveled for vaccines. We got the vaccines – it happened so quickly I didn’t get a chance to take pics. We waited about 15 minutes. We drove home. Driveway to driveway in less than an hour!
After our second vaccine, we flew to Denver to see our youngest. The airport was packed; the plane was beyond full. The two young guys sitting next to me assured me that they had been vaccinated. I asked them if that was the new pickup line, and they liked that: “Hey, there! I’ve been double dosed.”
Restaurants were packed – they had just opened up that weekend.
With a 2-day turnaround in Dallas, we scrambled to figure out a schedule for a PCR test and got it done at a MedNow clinic on our way to the Denver airport.
It took a couple of phone calls to get both of our results in hand, but we were finally ready to return to Spain.
But the American Airlines ticket agent at DFW couldn’t do Covid test math. “It will be more than 72 hours when you land in Madrid.” No, ma’am, it will be under 64. Her supervisor told her it was “close enough.” I guess that was easier than explaining the math to her.
The most chuckle-worthy thing of the whole trip: When we changed out our SIM cards back in Spain, El Marido got a notification that he was to have received his first vaccine two days before we left the U.S. I never did get a notification.
Throughout the whole trip, we were encouraged that most people wore masks. But it was weird making choices about what might or might not be safe. For our kids, it was their first time to eat out at a restaurant in over a year, and they were all a bit uneasy about that.
But some things were normal: we brought back requests for Alicante friends:
As 2020 came to an end, we settled into something resembling a routine.
When numbers were good and restrictions were relaxed, we were cautiously out and about. When numbers went up and restrictions were reinstated, we hunkered down.
We had friends over and met friends for lunch.
We played Mexican Train dominoes with our pod weekly, alternating apartments.
We hosted another couple for movie nights once a week.
As the year ended, two friends lost brothers within a week of each other.
Our youngest son had Covid.
Our oldest (a middle school teacher) was exposed and had to quarantine several times.
We saw friends and friends of friends get Covid and struggle.
We celebrated the presidential election in the U.S.
My cousin-sister (an elementary teacher) and her sons (middle and high school) were exposed, quarantined, and returned to society multiple times.
We found a new Mexican restaurant in San Juan city.
I dealt with dental issues.
Our Thanksgiving gathering for a few became two gatherings of fewer when numbers were restricted.
We watched all of our teacher friends back in Texas struggle.
We enjoyed the Christmas lights.
Then our daughter-in-law (a nurse) got her first Covid vaccine. And I cried.
After the first of the year, friends back in the U.S. began getting vaccinated. StillWe no word on vaccines in Spain.
Idiots attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election.
The new president took office with no issues.
Our sons got vaccinated and we breathed a sigh of relief.
Cousin-sister and all of her family got Covid.
I began to feel that the rest of our lives may be brief spurts of “normal” interspersed by long stretches of hunkering down.
Texas suffered a major freeze and power outage.
We watched Perseverance land on Mars with its 4-pound helicopter, Ingenuity.
I got my first haircut in over six months.
We optimistically booked a cruise for spring 2022.
We finally gave up on Spain and registered for vaccines back in Texas.
In less than 2 weeks, we had an appointment for vaccines.
Retired in Spain 