Aveiro - The Portugese Venice and the Aveiro Coast Near Barra Lighthouse.

[@tonynunes4965]

I really enjoy your commentary; it's honest, interesting and often insightful.

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@assuncaomeireles198]

Gostei muito de a conhecer é muito simpatica. Espero que se sinta bem em Portugal👍👍🇬🇧

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

Muito obrigado! Sim, estamos bem em Portugal. Mas quando a sol e sempre melhor 😆☺️🌧

[@carlavw60]

very nice walk, thanks for sharing your experience

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your support 🥰

[@NewHorizonsTravel]

Amazing video upload, I appreciate you for sharing! Thumbs up👍😍TFS

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

Thank you so much for your support and kind words!! 🥰

[@Veriatos]

Popular places in Portugal like the rest of Europe are becoming amusement parks for tourists. The original way of life is gone in these places, sadly this is what most tourists want.

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

Yes, so true. It seems people these days are more interested in mindless indulgence (food, drink, pointless technologies etc) than in exploration and discovery. Our sense of “wonder” at creation has somewhat dimmed. Oh well, it comes and goes in phases I suppose…No doubt we’ll be forced to go back to basics and relearn a lot of things again one day!😅

[@ciprianoneves7246]

They are called moliceiros pa. Tell me about change……I was in Barra in 1970, 1975, 1978 with my wife a d then wife and son……and it was quaint and portuguese…. Today, it is nothing but buildings that look like boxes. Anyway, tip….learn a few things about the places you visit, before filming. It might be more helpful to your viewers. Portugal hoje pertence aos estrangeiros para estrangeiros.Que vergonha.

[@OffTheBeatenTrack7]

Thank you for the tip. I will research more..😊. I agree that there is something sad about how places (I’ve traveled and lived in many different countries, including India) are losing their quaintness and identity. It’s not just Portugal, BUT, Portugal seems to be more willing than most to give up its uniqueness. It’s like Portugal is almost “embarrassed” by its own unique style (like India) and is trying too hard to “fit into” and “merge” into the rest of the world. Globalization at its worse. We can all embrace our artistic, creative uniqueness AND be a part of the world community. We don’t have to copy every one else to the point of losing our identity. Yet perhaps it’s all by design (so big money corporations can more easily take over)? Makes you wonder doesn’t it? 😢

[@Veriatos]

Portugal remained “quaint” until recently because it was a poor backwater. Political regimes had a lot to do with it. Mass tourism stayed away because there was a lack of infrastructure to support it. Recent infusions of money from EU to bring the countries infrastructure closer to the rest of its European neighbors has brought about rapid changes. You couldn’t zip around on all those modern highways in the 70’s. You didn’t have all those new universities like the one in Aveiro offering an opportunity for education. Change came rapidly for Portugal. Maybe in hindsight many things could have been done better. Tourism was seen as a savior for the economy but it can be a double edged sword. The internet certainly helped fuel tourism, look at all the videos about visiting and moving to Portugal that have appeared in the last 5 years. Hindsight is always 20/20.