Exploring Portugal: A Search for my Ancestors

In October of 2023, my parents and I traveled to Portugal to try and uncover family mysteries that were lost when the Portuguese side of my family immigrated to Brazil on a steam ship in the early 1900s. My mother's father was from Portugal and my mother's mother was from Italy. Both sides of the family traveled to Brazil during that time. We hope to learn more about why they left Portugal, and to also uncover birth records for our lost family tree. Our trip covered Porto, Aveiro, Viseu, Penalva do Castelo, Coimbra, and Lisbon.

*A note from my mother:* "In the past two years, I have been researching my ancestry, and was able to learn a lot about the history from stories told, memories, pictures, and records that I found. I came to realize that we have more in common with our ancestors than DNA and physical characteristics. This video is a way to pay homage to my Portuguese grandparents, uncles, and aunts for having taken the risk of crossing the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Brazil, where I was born. As a Danish philosopher reflects "Life can only be understood backwards, although it must be lived forwards."

By having traveled back to Viseu and Penalva do Castelo, we saw how beautiful and fertile that area of Portugal is. In awe, we kept wondering how difficult it must have been for my ancestors to leave their beloved homeland. I knew very little about them and, as a way to recognize and pay homage to them, I want to find out - or imagine - why generations long past did what they did. Their struggles, sacrifices, and losses were unimaginable, but their heritage paved generations through which I got here. I want to thank all my ancestors, those who have already passed, and the ones still on the pathway to becoming ancestors. A person's ancestry is a gift that keeps on giving. "When a man is born, he inherits his past, the same way he dreams up future generations."

Thank you for joining us on this adventure discovering our roots, while exploring the beautiful country of Portugal!

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**Music**

0:00 Intro
2:15 Porto Arrival
4:42 Day 2 in Porto
9:56 Day 3 in Porto (Cable Car)
15:35 Porto Churches
19:01 Aveiro
20:46 Viseu
22:37 Finding My Roots
25:40 Tiny Streets vs BMW
26:58 Coimbra
30:16 Fountain of Cats
32:27 Lisbon
34:38 Pastéis de Belém
36:24 St. George's Castle
37:14 Search for the Boat

#travelvlog #familytree #familyhistory

[mariateixeira]

You have a portuguese trait: being close to your family ❤

[im_a_simulation]

Ó mar salgado, quanto do teu sal
São lágrimas de Portugal!
Por te cruzarmos, quantas mães choraram,
Quantos filhos em vão rezaram!

Quantas noivas ficaram por casar
Para que fosses nosso, ó mar!
Valeu a pena? Tudo vale a pena
Se a alma não é pequena.

Quem quere passar além do Bojador
Tem que passar além da dor.
Deus ao mar o perigo e o abismo deu,
Mas nele é que espelhou o céu.

[Acenix]

for a future note: in small towns in Portugal the central roads were made to horses or cows carts, cars not exist in that time, so enter with a car in small towns could be very tricky if you are not aware of that.

[EuropeBrasil]

Amazing Video. Full of emotion. Welcome to Portugal, still you land also. Enjoy life.

[analuizaantunes]

What an amazing video, full of meaning and love. Incredible memories you are making with your parents and saving it for all your life.

[frankvieira]

Thank you Claire for this video, you have me motivated to go research my family history in The Azores Islands.

[miguelx]

Que história bonita! Tantos os portugueses que largaram as suas raízes em busca de uma vida melhor. Que saibamos honrar, nós portugueses, aqueles nos procuram em busca do mesmo. Com simpatia, bondade e gratidão

[Eric_Hofmann]

more humans have died than are alive, and so much is lost. for this heartbreakingly brief moment, we can reach out and find and grab onto the threads of the past, in dusty books in the places they survive. i'm really happy i saw this, thanks for posting claire!!

[Red-xusm]

I must say I usually don't comment on videos but this one popped up on my recommended and I'm glad I watched. Like many other comenters said, you seem to be Portuguese and Brazilian at the same time. I'm really glad you found the records you were looking for and your love for your parents is really beautiful and contangious.

As a portuguese person, for some reason this video left me emotional and proud of my origins. I'm currently imigirated in another country and this video reminded me of a lot of things I love about my country, and like you said, just like your great grandmother hoped to return one day, I sure hope to as well.

[joaomatos]

I came over to New Jersey from Portugal in 1966. I applaud you and your family for researching your roots! Im sure you've seen the other messages to look into church records if you can locate a local parish, its probably the best archives! But remember, your roots are multi branching, your history is in Portugal, Brazil, and the US. All equally important! The more information you gather, the richer you become!

[RogerM]

You're a truly really Portuguese!! Hopefully you've find it! Amazing videos 👏!! Hugs from Portugal, this little little country (that in the past) was the biggest on the world 🙏

[LuisSimoes-gr]

Portugal Porto, FC Porto🇵🇹💙💙💙💙🇵🇹🇵🇹💙💙🇵🇹

[deborahfigueiredo]

Really enjoyed your journey, beautiful video, thank you so much for sharing. I too am searching for my antepassados in Portugal. Some of them went to Brazil. Many went to Goa long before the rest went travelling the world. Have just come back from a road trip around NW Portugal. Found 3 Figueiredo churches and a few places called Figueiredo but still have no idea from where my family truly had roots. But Portugal is so beautiful. It was a fabulous trip.

[ClaireTrips]

I hope you guys enjoy road tripping Portugal with us! I'm so amazed by how much we were able to find there.

[manueldias]

Benvinda á mais bonita cidade de portuga e da Europa .

[lucianeedgington]

Lindíssimo o seu vídeo, você tem talento e/ou traino para produzir vídeos.
Estou chorando tanto.

[PedroVanzeller]

Wellcome to Portugal 🇵🇹 🇺🇸 🇧🇷

[Shaoning-]

It is so nice to watch your video again, so excited. It has been a long time. You are so lovely to travel with your parents. Portugal is on my wife's and my travel bucket list. Thank you for the beautiful video.

[tiagohardman]

Fun fact, “the other side” is Vila Nova de Gaia the 3rd biggest city in Portugal, Porto being the 4th 😁

[MarceloRodrigues]

As a Brazilian with Portuguese roots, it makes me full of joy seeing the connection we share with people around the globe through the history of Portugal. It is particularly beautiful seeing people discover the beauty of Portugal and its past and realizing how underrated it is in today's world narrative.