Autumn in Poland – November and December 2015

In the way back from Bucarest, Romania we stopped in the airport of Frankfurt, Germany, where descend to the subsoil to take a train and travel to Poland, continuing the tour of Mandragora Circo around the world.

In Poland we found a country full of stories and traditions. First arrived in Gdansk, a city in the north, the same where years before started World War II and later also started the Solidarity Movement which make Poland to go out of communism.

There we met again with Kamila Chomicz, our friend that have been met in Bacalar, Mexico in 2013 during the tour by car in the Americas. That time after Kamila watched our show we made together a video with the characters of the show in the landscape of Bacalar. This time we met in another continent and with a different landscape, in middle of autumn, full of colors, dry leaves, apple trees. With Kamila walked between little towns, among forest, rivers. We shared with her family one of the main traditions, the day of all saints, also knows as the day of death, when all the families gather to eat and visit the cemetery during the day and also in the night.

We were 2 months traveling around Poland and made a lot of shows in theatres, cultural centers, schools, in a nursing home and in the oncology room in the children´s hospital. We travel from one point to the other of the country by train. From the up north in Gdanks to Lublin in the south east. Visited Cracovia and Ludz went to Warsaw for some shows, back to Gdansk to do more shows, back to Lublin to do three shows in one day and back to Warsaw. In the train we enjoyed the view from the window, looking the farm ,towns, forest, mountains.

Every corner in Poland is full of history, you find aftermath from the war, the communist, the ghettos, concentration camps. A past sad. But visiting the country at present we found a lot of culture and art, museums, music, street festival and you can see how people are very interested in art.

We met a lot of people, even people whom speak spanish, and many friends whom introduces us in the cultures of the country. We were in Warsaw, a city that was destroyed almost entirely during the war and then rebuilt keeping the same architecture of the past. We spent the days with Ola, Tose and little Gustaw. Very funny moments, sharing stories, visiting places, learning about the customs, food and traditions of Poland.

At the eastern end of the country we arrived at Lublin where the Sztukmistrze circus company host us and we were training and sharing circus moments with them.

Something that caught our attention in Poland was found, in every city, find a store that sells YERBA MATE (a traditional drink from south america,”a kind of tea” that is very common in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) Walking on the street we found the big sign anouncing the product, looks like drink Mate is becoming popular in Poland.

With the beginning of December winter started to come strong, the coldest temperatures, the first snow and we preparing to continue the tour to other country.