Seeing the World with the Tipsy Gypsies

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.

We spent 4 days in Hong Kong and although the rainy weather was beautiful in the city, it made shooting a bit difficult so I didn't get as much footage as I hoped. Regardless, we had an amazing time and can't wait to visit again. Produced by: The Tipsy Gypsies WWW.THETIPSYGYPSIES.NET Music composed by: Michael Vignola www.vignolamusic.com

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!

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. Portugal is a land that thrives off delicious wine, mouthwatering cuisine, awe inspiring architecture and music that will touch even the most hardened of souls. We spent a month traveling from Porto in the north, down to Lisbon in the south. While in Porto, we had the good fortune of witnessing and celebrating Portugal's win of the 2016 Euro Cup final. The entire city broke out into festivities and didn't stop for two days and nights. A celebration we will never forget. We drank, ate and laughed with city locals in small bars and restaurants and were always welcomed with open arms. In Lisbon we got to watch master tile painter Cristina Pina (www.facebook.com/ceramicacristinapina) create beautiful handmade works of art. Portugal's tile work is a gift to the world and can be found all across the globe. For six hours we were serenaded by Fado music at A Tasca do Chico. Wednesday nights are open mic and the best night to go. We ate Nata and Bifana on the streets of Alfama and indulged in delicious fruits from local markets. We were mesmerized by Sintra, which has more magnificent castles and palaces than we could count. But none of this compared to the people. It was the people that made Portugal great and it is my hope that this video shows as a love letter, how amazing we think the people of Portugal are. VIVA PORTUGAL!!! Filmmaker Note: The first song is NOT Portuguese. But the old lady dancing in the video was having such a good time with this song when I filmed her, it had to be used. SONGS: Original! - Yo Tengo Un Novio Oquestrada - Oxala te Veja (toma que toma)

Cover Photo by The Tipsy Gypsies.