Filling the Sink

This year marks the 74th edition of the world’s largest motor racing event, the Formula One World Championship. Since 1991, the Spanish Grand Prix has been held at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmeló, half an hour north of the Catalan capital. However, this year could be one of the last times the Spanish race is held in Catalonia, as Madrid has signed a new ten-year deal with Formula One. But with the future uncertain, the event could also be shared between the two cities, similar to the arrangements from 1969 to 1975 and later, from 2008 to 2012, when F1 races were held in both Barcelona and Valencia. Faced with the threat of losing the F1, the organizers brought the excitement to the heart of Barcelona, inviting fans to the Formula One Fan Village in the Plaza Catalunya Square and later, showcasing the horsepower of some of the race cars with a spectacular road show on the Catalan capital’s central Passeig de Gràcia boulevard. The event sparked excitement among fans, who gained exclusive access to an otherwise expensive event, as well as frustration among environmentalists, who argued that it was another part of the privatization of public spaces in Barcelona. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the history, present, and future of the Spanish Grand Prix. We capture the excitement of F1 fans and the noise of engines and tires during the roadshow and hear from protesting environmentalists.  We also talk to David Vàzquez, the president of the Vallès Oriental Hotels Guild, who explains the economic consequences of moving the Spanish Grand Prix from the Barcelona-Catalunya racetrack. The Catalan phrase of the week is the Formula One appropriate “Fer una parada a boxes”, which means to “make a pit stop.” Get in touch with the podcast team atfillingthesink@acn.cat.

Barcelona’s haute cuisine restaurant ‘Disfrutar’ has been named the World’s Best Restaurant in the 22nd edition of the prestigious ranking “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” With this accolade, head chefs and creators Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch have added another star to the Catalan culinary constellation, joining the ranks of renowned establishments such as  El Bulli, el Celler de Can Roca, and many others. The name “Disfrutar”, which means “enjoy” in Spanish, reflects the restaurant’s philosophy of offering visitors an extraordinary dining experience that goes beyond just food, tapping into their senses, emotions, and memories. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the restaurant’s gastronomic success and its origins. We also visit Disfrutar, located in the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample district, and catch up with Eduard Xatruch, who shares some of the secrets behind the exclusive eatery and explains what guests can expect when they walk through the doors. This week, Xatruch brings us the Catalan phrase: “No diguis blat fins que estigui al sac i ben lligat,” which literally translates to “Don’t say wheat until it’s harvested and secured,” akin to the English “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.” Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

For the past four days, EU citizens have been casting their ballots in the European Parliament elections. In Catalonia and the rest of Spain, Sunday, June 9th was the big day. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander the morning after for a Filling the Sink post-election special to break down the results in Europe, Spain, and Catalonia. Millions of people have flocked to polling stations across the European Union to make their voices heard, and in Spain’s case, to elect the 61 representatives for Spain in the European Parliament. The main issues in this election cycle were the war in Ukraine, arms versus defense, the Green Deal, migration, and the rise of the far right all over the Union. In Spain, the results showed a narrow victory for the right and far-right parties, while the Socialists secured a majority in Catalonia. We hear reactions from all the Catalan parties that made it cut, including the far-right anti-establishment party Se acabó la Fiesta, as well as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. We discuss what the ballot results will mean for European politics over the next five years and how it could all affect Catalonia. The Catalan phrase of the week is ‘L’Oda a l’Alegría’ or ‘Ode to Joy’ in English, which was originally composed by Beethoven in 1823, with words adapted from a 1785 poem by Friedrich Schiller, and adopted as the Anthem of Europe in 1972 by the European Council and later by the European Union. Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

On May 30th, under sun, thunder, and lightning, Primavera Sound, the biggest festival in Spain descended on Barcelona’s Parc del Fòrum for the 22nd time, kicking off this year’s summer festival season in Catalonia. With a solid mix of Catalan summer hits, rock bangers, catchy pop tunes, and international names such as Lana Del Rey, Pulp, Deftones, and Troye Sivan, the 268,000 attendees were in for the party of the year. We talk to the up-and-coming Catalan artist Mama Dousha, whose infectious dance tune ‘Rikiti’ has everyone on the dancefloor, about what it is like being a new artist in Catalonia and his decision to sing in Catalan instead of English. Oriol Escudè Maciá joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to teleport listeners back to a weekend of music and fun, and to give a rundown of all the biggest concerts and festivals in Catalonia this summer. The Catalan phrase of the week is “Qui canta, els seus mals espanta”, which literally means “He who sings, scares away his troubles,” similar to “to sing away your pain.”  Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat.

Since 1980, at the end of May, the western Catalan city of Lleida becomes the snail center of Catalonia, where hundreds of people get together to celebrate the annual Catalan Snail Gathering, or l’Aplec del cargol in Catalan. Fans of the tiny molluscs unite for a weekend of gastronomy, but also of competitions, concerts, and the Catalan human towers, castells. For this last edition of the festival, a whopping 15 tons of snails were devoured by hungry participants, many of whom washed down the delicacy with cold beer. Oriol Escudé Macià and Ona Van Dyck join the festivities at the world’s largest snail-eating fest and return to Barcelona to talk about the experience with host Lea Beliaeva Bander. We talk to different colles and attendees at the Aplec and get deep into all things snail, from how to cook and eat them to their health benefits and snail farming, and we answer pressing questions such as what do snails taste like, and are Catalans the world’s biggest snail eaters? The Catalan phrase of the week is, fittingly, ‘enganyar com als cargols’, which literally translates to ‘to deceive like snails’ and means to betray someone’s trust. Tune in to find out how the phrase relates to this week’s podcast.

Finding affordable housing has long been a problem in Catalonia and Spain, and in March, the Spanish government introduced a reference index for rent prices to keep them from rising. But the new rent cap created loopholes and had the opposite effect of increasing prices on short-term leases, while long-term housing became even harder to find. In response, the Catalan government rushed through regulations but failed to garner the support to make it a permanent law. Cillian Shields and Ona Van Dyck join Lea Beliaeva Bander to explain the different housing laws and highlight the huge gap between the law and reality. We hear from Barcelona real estate agent Tine Mathiessen, and Carme Arcarazo of the Catalan Tenants’ Union, as well as the experiences of Catalan renters. The Catalan phrase of the week is ‘- Què hem de fer? Vendre la casa i anar de lloguer’, which means “What should we do? Sell the house and go rent” is a rhyming answer to a question you don’t know the answer to.

The Catalan snap election is over, and the voters gave the Catalan Socialist Party, PSC, a whopping 28% of the vote, which translates into 42 seats. But falling short of an absolute majority of 68 seats, the results mean that the Socialists now have to find new alliances to form a government. This episode of Filling the Sink was recorded bright and early on the first morning of the new political cycle. Gerard Eschaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to break down the election results and answer the question: who will govern Catalonia for the next four years and what is in store for us? The early May elections, the result of a failed budget deal in the Catalan Parliament in March, showed how the Catalan independence parties seem to have lost momentum, even though Junts+Puigdemont for Catalonia won three more seats compared to 2021.   The biggest loss was seen in the left-wing Esquerra Republicana, a party that went from governing to losing 13 seats, while the anti-capitalist formation CUP lost half of its seats, ending up with only 4. At the same time, the conservative pro-unionist People’s Party celebrated its biggest victory in years with 12 new seats, becoming the fourth largest party in the Catalan parliament, while the far-right VOX maintained its 11 seats from the last cycle. The biggest surprise was the entry of the far-right pro-independence party Aliança Catalana, which won 2 seats in Catalonia. We will hear the reactions from all the major presidential candidates and talk about what coalitions we can expect - with some being more likely than others. The Catalan phrase of the week is ‘colze a colze’ which means arm in arm, something the parties will now have to do to form a lasting coalition.

On May 11, we celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Catalan artist Salvador Dalí, whose influence on the art world continues to captivate audiences worldwide. The surrealist painter was born in the northern Catalan town of Figueres, but spent most of his life in the picturesque coastal towns of Cadaques and Port Lligat, from where he drew much of his inspiration. Although Dalí was best known for his surrealist art and eccentricities - including his mustache, which we will talk about - there is so much more to discover.  In this episode of Filling the Sink, we delve into the life and art of Salvador Dalí.  From his formative years studying Fine Arts in Madrid, to his contributions to Surrealism after going to Paris, to his experimental years in the United States, before returning and settling down in northern Catalonia and creating his own legacy. Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to expand on several of the late surrealist’s motifs, from melting clocks to eerie mountain landscapes. We will also recount some anecdotes from Dalí’s life, such as his protest against his art teachers or his deep wounding by the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud after their first meeting. We talk to art historian Mariona Seguranyes about Gala Dalí and her significant role in the artist’s life. And we take listeners inside Salvador and Gala’s house in Port Lligat, as well as their Theatre-Museum in Figueres, where Oriol has a surrealist experience of his own.  This week’s Catalan phrase is “per art de màgia” which means “magically”.

The Catalan election season is in full swing – once again. On March 18th, Catalan President Pere Aragonès announced that he was dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling for a snap election on May 12th. The news came after the government failed to secure a majority to pass the 2024 budget. Calling for early elections in Catalonia is nothing new, as it has been 14 years since a government last served the full four-year term, and in the 21st century, the Catalans have only held two elections when they should have. On this week’s podcast, Gerard Escaich Folch and Guifré Jordan join Lea Beliaeva Bander to make sense of the political situation and explain the reasons why this term came to an early end.  We look back at the last three years of political battles, get to know the main party candidates, and talk about the future challenges. This week’s Catalan phrase is “déu-n’hi-do”, roughly translated as “Oh my God!” in English, a common interjection used to express surprise.

Sant Jordi or Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia, and April 23 is the day when Catalans celebrate love, roses, romance, and also books.  This week's episode is recorded from the bookshop Backstory in the heart of Barcelona.  We explain what makes this day special and why people give each other roses and books. We learn about the legend of Sant Jordi and how this day became World Book Day promoted by UNESCO in 1995.  We meet international authors Monika Zgustová, Hernan Díaz, and Sohn Won-pyung, talk to people on the streets of the Catalan capital, and hear from Vicki, co-owner of the English bookstore Hibernian as well as Kate and Abby, who opened Backstory back in February of 2024.  Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by the entire Catalan News team, Gerard Escaich Folc, Oriol Escudé Macià, Lorcan Doherty, Cillian Shields, and Ona Van Dyck Colomer. The Catalan phrase of the week is the Sant Jordi appropriate “Hi havia una vegada”, which means “Once upon a time”. 

As the weather gets warmer, more and more people will want to go to the beach. But lately, some of the beaches in Catalonia have looked quite different.  In some places, the beaches look like they have been swallowed by the sea. The reason for this is the recent storm Nelson, which hit the Catalan coast during this past Easter. Nelson caused an unprecedented loss of sand on some of Catalonia’s beaches, in some cases reducing the width of the beach by 25 meters.  However, this phenomenon is not new and is becoming more and more frequent due to climate change.  Recent data show that two-thirds of the Catalan coastline has receded in the last seven decades. At the same time, other beaches have grown as a result of the construction of more ports or the expansion of beaches. Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the state of Catalonia’s beaches and coastline. We talk to Gonzalo Simarro, a beach scientist at the Marine Sciences Institute, about the impact of storms on Catalan beaches. We also hear from Jordi Pinyol of the Geological and Cartographic Institute of Catalonia, who explains how the Catalan coastline is evolving. On a lighter note, we also share beach recommendations, from the rocky and picturesque up on Costa Brava, to the fun Barcelona beaches, or the family-friendly Costa Daurada, as well as the windy Terres de l’Ebre. The Catalan phrase of the week is “Hi ha mar de fons,” which literally means “there is a groundswell,” and is an expression used to express that there is tension or bad vibes. 

Barcelona’s take on fashion week is the bi-annual event 080 Barcelona Fashion, which this season runs from April 9 to April 12. The event has been held at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site since 2013, and during the 33rd edition celebrated this week, a mix of 24 emerging designers and established brands presented their idea of what should be in vogue in 2024.  Over the years, 080 Barcelona Fashion has gone from being a locally focused event to catching the eye of the international fashion world, thanks to its unique mix of Catalan textile tradition, sustainability, and diversity.  In this episode, designers Eva Dimas of Simorra and Alejandra Valero of Hoss Intropia unveil their latest collections, and we also hear from 080 Barcelona Fashion’s project manager Marta Coca, who explains how the event has evolved.   Lorcan Doherty joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about all things fashion.   This week’s Catalan phrase is 'passat de moda', which means 'out of fashion'. 

The number of indoor climbing gyms in Catalonia has multiplied by four in just ten years, making climbing a lifestyle phenomenon and another way of connecting with people.  At the same time, the mountainous landscapes of Catalonia have become some of the most visited destinations for outdoor climbing.   In this episode, Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the Catalan bouldering boom, and we also discuss whether it’s a sport that is accessible to all.  We visit Sharma Climbing, the largest climbing gym in Spain, owned by American climber Chris Sharma, where climbers explain why they took up the sport.  We also talk to Quim Hernández, the climbing manager of the Catalan Mountain Sports Federation about the growing popularity of climbing and how it is being received.  The Catalan phrase of the week is “Fer una muntanya d’una gra de sorra” which means to blow something out of proportion, similar to the English expression “to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the opening of the notorious La Model prison, located in the Eixample district of Barcelona.  The facility closed in 2017 and has since become a site for Catalan historic memory, open to the public. Behind its high beige walls lies the history of a prison that sought to be exemplary, but during the Franco dictatorship held thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were tortured or executed.  Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the agonizing history of La Model and its impending transformation into a place of life.   We speak with Isabel Centeno, historian and tour guide at La Model, and we hear from Gemma and Carme Puig Antich, the sisters of Salvador Puig Antich, the last political prisoner to be executed at La Model, and their lawyers, Maria Servini and Magda Oranich.  The Catalan phrase of the week is “pagar justos per pecadors”, in English to pay for the sins of others.

In January 2024, the Catalan government joined other European countries in the fight to regulate the use of mobile phones by young children.   A new set of regulations restricting the use of mobile phones in Catalan primary or secondary schools starting from the 2024/2025 academic year saw the light of day.  But the idea behind the regulations didn’t come from the Catalan politicians themselves, but from the parent initiative Adolescència Lliure de Mòbil, A Phone-free Adolescence, which started in the Barcelona neighborhood of Poblenou in November 2023, and soon spread to other parts of the Catalan capital, then the rest of Catalonia, and then all of Spain.   Parents and experts alike are concerned that the early use of cell phones and the easy access to social media could affect children’s mental health and cognitive development.   The new rules will mean that the use of mobile phones will be completely banned for school children in Catalan public primary schools, while older children in secondary school will still be able use them in certain circumstances, with permission of teachers.   Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by reporter Oriol Escudé Macià to talk about what the new regulations mean and why some experts are discouraging children from using smartphones.   We will hear from Lluna Porta, one of the spokespeople for Adolescència Lliure de Mòbil about how the group got started.  Jose Ramon Ubieto, a clinical psychologist and author of ¿Adictos o amantes? offers advice on how to reduce phone time for children and adults alike.   This week's Catalan phrase is 'bufar i fer ampolles'. Literally, 'to blow and make bottles', it's used to express something that’s easy to do, similar to the English phrase “piece of cake”.

Society of the Snow and Robot Dreams miss out on coveted Academy Awards, but plenty of fun is had along the way.  In Los Angeles, Natàlia Segura catches up with the nominees – Barcelona filmmaker JA Bayona, director of Society of the Snow, Montse Ribé and David Martí, nominated in the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category for their work on the same film, and Pablo Berger, director of Catalan production Robot Dreams, nominated for Best Animated Feature.  On the big night itself, Natàlia heads to an Oscars party at the Teleferic Barcelona in LA, meets a survivor from the Uruguayan plane crash in 1972 that inspired Society of the Snow, and fills in a weary-eyed Cillian Shields back in Barcelona.  The morning after the night before, Lorcan Doherty joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about Catalonia's Oscars history and the two nominated films.  Robot Dreams' lead character designer, Daniel Fernández Casas, explains the secret of the movie's success.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'somiar truites'. Literally, 'to dream omelettes', it means to dream big, perhaps unrealistically so! 

March 8 is International Women's Day. To mark the occasion, Filling the Sink pays homage to ten women who changed Catalonia.  Writer Caterina Albert (aka Victor Català), educator Francesca Bonnemaison, anarcho-syndicalist Teresa Claramunt, trans activist Silvia Reyes, flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, singer and songwriter Rosalía, chef Carme Ruscalleda, middle-distance runner Carmen Valero, and footballer Alexia Putellas.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'Visca la lluita feminista' – 'Long live the feminist struggle'. Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Lea Beliaeva Bander. 

The world's biggest mobile technology fair is taking place in Barcelona once again, but Mobile World Congress goes way beyond phones. MWC 2024 showcases all kinds of emerging technology from tech giants such as Samsung, Google, Huawei and Microsoft, with artificial intelligence the buzzword on everyone's lips.  Lorcan Doherty chats AI with Mobileum founder Avnish Chauhan, Dell's beer guy (and business development manager) Warren Jackson, and IMA CEO Eyal Reshef.  Lea Beliaeva Bander talks to two Catalan companies at 4YFN (Four Years from Now), the startup space at MWC: Francesco Pititto, CEO of Envjoy Nature, and Dhespina Mena from WindowSight.  Oriol Escudé Macià checks out one of this year's top attractions, Alef Aeronautics' flying car prototype, as well as other aviation innovations – SK Telecom's urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft, an AI-assisted drone used by Catalonia's Mossos d'Esquadra police, and Aalto's High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS).  Cillian Shields heads to a session called 'Quantum Industry: A Bird's-Eye View' to discover more about this cutting-edge technology and how it is evolving in 2024.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'A camí llarg, passa curta', which means 'On a long path, short steps'. 

All across Europe, farmers are protesting, stopping traffic with their tractors to sound the alarm on what many feel is the slow death of the agricultural sector. On February 6, Catalan farmers drove their tractors out of the fields, draped them with slogans such as “La nostra fi, la vostra fam”, or “Our end, your hunger” and marched slowly but determinedly toward Barcelona in one of the largest coordinated protests in years.  We hear from 12 farmers who took part in the protests about the disappointments, demands, and dreams of a sector that feels neglected as it deals with everything from environmental regulations to rising production costs, excessive red tape, and a lack of drought relief, just to mention a few.  Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by Oriol Escudé Macià, who sheds light on the farmers' protests and explains what lies ahead.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'picar pedra'. Literally, 'to crush stone', it means to work hard at something without necessarily achieving a gain in the end.   

Viquipèdia, the Catalan version of the free, collaborative online encyclopedia, is a real success story, with almost 750,000 articles and over 1,000 active editors. Wikipedians Xavier Dengra and Àlex Hinojo explain what drives them to volunteer their free time and contribute their knowledge to the project. Lea Beliaeva chats to Núria Ribas, president of Amical Wikipedia, and Carme Fenoll, a wikipedian and librarian, about gender bias on the website and how Viquipèdia is trying to increase diversity, in terms of contributors and content. This week's Catalan phrase is 'ser un setciències'. Literally, 'to be a seven-sciences', it means 'to be a know-it-all'.  Presented by Lorcan Doherty.