Last week we spent a few days in Austin, TX for a little gathering called TravelCon. To be honest, we were pretty overwhelmed going into the whole experience, being conference newbies and all, but the crowd couldn’t have been better.

On the second day, we were introduced to a couple who called themselves The Tipsy Gypsies. Nate and Marta Connella describe themselves as “a married couple who quit everything to go see and experience the world.” They also like to chronicle their adventures through film, photography, and adult beverages.

Nate is a pretty fantastic filmmaker and has had a few of his travel films featured on Lonely Planet, National Geographic, BBC World News and Travel+Leisure. I really love his style because you can see that he likes to get up close and personal with the culture and people. So many travel filmmakers today rely too much on cinematic drone shots and in Nate’s films you can really feel the atmosphere on the street.

Take the example below, a one and a half minute look at their time in Hong Kong. You can feel the hustle and bustle in the streets in a city that houses some 7.4 million people.

Travel and Food and Drink

There’s not much that will get you closer to a culture than by enjoying local cuisine and drinks. For a lot of people that means venturing out a little farther than most tourists and seeing the soul of the locals in their own districts. I love Paris, but if you never leave the touristy center, you probably haven’t experienced the real grittiness of the city and the people that walk its streets.

In 2016, Nate and Marta traveled through Portugal for a month, starting in the north at Porto and heading down south to Lisboa. “If a country's wealth were based solely on the kindness and character of its people, Portugal would be one of the richest countries in the world,” said The Tipsy Gypsies about their film The Spirit of Portugal.

Check it out below and experience Portugal through the eyes of The Tipsy Gypsies, then plan a trip for yourself. After all, this is a site for inspiration. Now get out and travel! And thanks to Nate and Marta for hanging out and talking travel. Y’all are the best!

Cover Photo by The Tipsy Gypsies.

On November 9, 1989, I was five years old. Not exactly a great age for remembering world events. Still, a single memory floats around in my head of holding a small newspaper for children with a picture of East and West Berliners standing atop a structure that I didn't know existed. 

Ever since that day I've been fascinated by the era known as the Cold War and what would motivate someone to put up a barrier between people. Currently, I'm reading Berlin Now: The City After The Wall by Peter Schneider and am struck by how much each side of the city had in common right before that day in November 1989. 

Standing for almost thirty years, it feels like the remains of the Berlin Wall speak to me. I've yet to step foot in Germany, beyond a flight routed through Frankfurt, and it is the top of my travel bucket list. I have this dream of being in the city for the thirty year anniversary of its fall in November of 2019. To stand at the Brandenburg Gate and look upon the progress achieved in my short lifetime.  

Music, Movies, and Memories

For the last few years, I've immersed myself in documentaries, movies, music, and remembrances of the Cold War era, especially the turbulent 1980's that led to the fall of the wall. Books like The Berlin Wall: A World Divided, 1961-1989 by Frederick Taylor and Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, The Wall, and the Birth of the New Berlin by Paul Hockenos offer a glimpse into the political, cultural and, everyday lives of Berliners on opposite sides. In Berlin Calling, Hockenos looks at the culture of communes, artists, squatters, and music that helped lead to the eventual reunification of the German capital. Taylor's The Berlin Wall gives a much more comprehensive take on the politics at the end of World War II that brought about the Wall and its eventual demise.

Following on from Berlin Calling, I stumbled upon a user mix on Apple Music entitled Berlin Wall, Microfilm, and the Cold War that collects some great tracks from David Bowie, Re-Flex, Blondie, and many more, that helps transport my mind to '89. 

Last year while talking with my grandfather, I learned that he'd been part of an Air Force team that helped prepare Francis Gary Powers for the reconnaissance flight that led to the 1960 U2 incident, the aftermath depicted in Steven Speilberg's Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks. 

Of course, I also mixed in a bit of the fantastic, mainly with movies like Atomic Blonde, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and tv shows The Same Sky and The Americans. 

Constantly Making Plans

I'm not sure there's any other city in the world that I've dreamed about more than Berlin. From constantly reading, studying maps of the Wall's route and even brushing up on the German language (not quite successfully though), there's no place I've prepared for more without actually going. That's something I'd like to remedy shortly. As I said before, I'd love to be in Berlin for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, but the truth is, right now I'd settle for simply seeing the city. 

There's an inherent romanticism to travel. The movement from one place to another. New sights, smells, surroundings and a sense of shared kinship. For me, though, seeing Berlin isn't merely a change of place, but a pilgrimage of sorts. Like stepping foot on ancestral soil, even though I have mostly English and Scottish heritage. After immersing myself in the history, culture and politics of the Cold War, visiting Berlin feels like going home. 

So in 2019, that's what I hope to do. See you soon, Berlin.

It's been a long few weeks in the Journey & Play world. From lots of work projects, hurt shoulders, and wrists, to the beginning of new jobs and all the anxiety that can bring. So from us (Kim & Kevin) enjoy your weekend and look for the fun, the lighthearted, the joyful. Start with this short film from Guy Trefler for a lighthearted and irreverent look at the City of Lights.

The landscape of Iceland is a surrealist dream, which is probably why so many films shoot there. In 10 Days, One Road, filmmakers Daniel Kemeys and Hana Noguchi take us along on their ten-day trip around Iceland's Ring Road. Using a Sony a7Rii (my preferred camera) and a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, we're transported to waterfalls, rushing water, epic snow drifts and white-dusted timber. 

The more I watch videos like this, the more I want to venture to Iceland. Maybe it's the hot Houston summer that feels like oppression some days. The humidity seems to just sink into your bones this time of year.

How do you like to escape the heat of summer? 

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Video: Daniel Kemeys & Hana Noguchi
Camera: Sony a7Rii
Drone: DJI Phantom 4 Pro

If you've seen any pictures of me, you'll immediately know that I'm a hat person. Not your standard American style ballcaps, but fedoras, flat caps and the like. British history is full of men and women wearing gorgous adorenemnts (Royal Wedding, hint, hint) and you can find the perfect chapeau to compliment your style in London. Whether you're looking to emulate Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders or Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey, London's hat shops have you covered (literally.)

1. Lock & Co.

You can't mention hat shops in London without talking about Lock & Co. The oldest hat shop in the world started in 1676 and is one of the oldest family-owned business still in existence. They outfitted Sir Winston Churchill with his trademark Homburg and Bambridge hats and even created the Coke Bowler for Edward Coke in 1849. Find the very best of British heritage hats at No. 6 St. James’s Street.

The shop is quaint and full of history, hats, and panache. If you're looking to delve into British hat history, or visit the Kingsman storefront next door, Lock & Co. is the place to go. 

2. Bates Gentlemen's Hatter

Boasting a beautiful shop on Jermyn St., Bates Gentlemen's Hatter is the logical next stop after Lock and Co., possibly because it's just around the corner. With a presence on Jermyn St. since 1898, Bates offers handmade Panama's, a large selection of caps, and a showcase of fedoras and trilbies. It would be almost impossible not to find a hat that fits your liking at Bates. They even have a store in Paris if you decide to take the Chunnel over for a short visit. 

3. Christy's Hats

Tucked away in a small shop in Prince's Arcade off Jermyn Street, Christy's is a delight for the hat-wearing man. Started in 1773 by Miller Christy, this British heritage brand has outfitted the UK Police, Brad Pitt, and even Marlon Brando's Don Corleone character in The Godfather. Christy's boasts a rich heritage with prices a bit under some of the other shops listed here. I picked up a brand new flat cap (pictured above) and my very first packable fedora in delightful olive green. The helpful staff will get you kitted out with a perfect fitting hat for any occasion in no time.

4. Stumper & Fielding

Last on the list is a bit more fashion forward than some of the other shops. Stumper & Fielding in Notting Hill is a great shop to visit when you're perusing the Portobello Road Market. Featuring hats, men's and women's fashion, and an Instagram worthy store, S&F has a bit of something for everyone. If you're new to hats, this is a great place to start as it won't break the bank and you'll get a lot of ideas of how to wear your new headgear.