Filling the Sink

Battle of the breakfasts - Brunch versus the esmorzar de forquilla

Everyone loves a good breakfast, and in this week’s episode of Filling the Sink we’ll be investigating two different traditions, the Catalan 'esmorzars de forquilla' versus the international trend of brunch.
Over the last few years, brunch bars have opened up all over central Barcelona, particularly in tourist hotspots such as the area around the Sagrada Familia. To find out more about the rising trend of brunch, Catalan News journalist Oriol Escudé visits Billy Brunch, one of the most famous brunch chains in the city. Owner Billy Thorens shares the secrets to his success and we chat to some of the customers to find out what’s so great about brunch.
Host Beth Cohen investigates the ‘esmorzar de forquilla’ - Catalonia’s own traditional morning meal - and finds out how it has been making a comeback and “declaring war on brunch”. We have breakfast with Albert Molins, a journalist from La Vanguardia and founder of EsmorzApp, an app which enables users to find restaurants serving the traditional hearty Catalan breakfasts in their area.
After trying both options, Beth and Oriol discuss the future of local cuisine and declare their own personal favorites in the battle of the breakfasts. This week’s Catalan phrase is “menjar amb els ulls” - to eat with your eyes - when something looks so good that you just have to eat it.

The 2014 Catalan self-determination vote - 10 years on

November 9 is the tenth anniversary of the 2014 Catalan self-determination vote and to mark the occasion we’ll be looking at the independence push over the last few years.
Catalan News Agency journalist Guifré Jordan gives us an overview of the events leading up to the 2014 self-determination vote, the unofficial referendums between 2009 and 2011 and the protests which took place in Barcelona in 2010 and 2012. We listen to some of the Catalan citizens who went to the polls on November 9, 2014 to find out their reasons for voting and their hopes for a better future. Journalist and head of Catalan News Gerard Escaich Folch introduces some of the key pro-independence leaders, such as Artur Mas and David Fernàndez. We also explore the reactions of the Spanish government to both the 2014 and 2017 voting and discuss the main differences. Host Beth Cohen draws parallels with other national and international situations and reflects on the future of the pro-independence movement in Catalonia.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Fer mans i mànigues” which means to make that extra effort and do everything possible to achieve your goal. It’s an inspirational phrase to round off this week’s podcast on Catalan independence.

Medical marijuana - New highs for the health industry?

Despite its popularity as a recreational drug, cannabis has also been used throughout history to relieve pain and aid relaxation.
Beth Cohen and Emma Monròs investigate the uses of this controversial plant in contemporary medicine, discovering its effects, benefits and contraindications. Emma talks to doctor Magí Farré, head of clinical pharmacology at the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona, to find out how cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals are currently administered and how changes in the law could benefit sufferers of certain conditions such as chronic pain, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
To find out more about legal cannabis cultivation, we visit Canamedics in Manresa, the first company in Catalonia with an official license to grow medicinal cannabis. Owner and co-founder Luis Comas talks to us about this groundbreaking enterprise and explains the challenges they are facing.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Que bé s’està quan s’està bé ” - how good you are when you are good. It’s used to express gratitude and recognize your good fortune when things are going well. It’s a perfect feel-good phrase to end this podcast about health and wellbeing on a high!

Cemeteries and Chestnuts: Tots Sants in Catalonia

As All Saints Day approaches on November 1, many Catalan families will be visiting the graves of their loved ones, taking flowers and paying their respects to the dead.
To mark the occasion, Beth Cohen and Emma Monrós dive into the history of two of Barcelona’s most iconic cemeteries, Poblenou and Montjuïc. Emma talks to Adrià Terol, cultural manager of the cemeteries in Barcelona, about the history of funeral rituals in the city. Adrià explains how the niche tomb appeared as an egalitarian burial solution and how the bourgeoisie later reintroduced grandeur to the graveyard.
We admire the sculptures in Montjuïc cemetery, such as the famous Petó de la Mort (Kiss of Death), and visit the Museum of Funeral Carriages to see some of the historic vehicles there. Beth finds out how locals celebrate at this time of year and we brainstorm some ideas of spooky things to see and do in and around Barcelona for Halloween.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Assemblar-se com un ou a una castanya” - to be as similar as an egg and a chestnut, which of course are as different as chalk and cheese. It’s a perfect phrase to use as la Castanyada approaches!
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Battling breast cancer - survivors' stories and experts insights

October 19th is the World Health Organization’s International Day Against Breast Cancer.
In 2022, more than 2 million people worldwide were diagnosed with the illness, while the number of diagnoses here in Catalonia last year was around 5,400.
Although breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer in women, it has one of the highest survival rates, which have improved year after year.
On the 200th episode of Filling the Sink, Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about some of the realities and myths surrounding breast cancer and who is at risk of getting it.
We hear personal stories from breast cancer survivors Mònica Roldán, Grindel Darwich, and Anna Bacardit, as well as from campaigners Alba Martínez and Aurora Fernàndez, president of the association Ginkgo.
We highlight the importance of early detection and discuss both private and public healthcare options and hear from oncologists about their biggest challenges.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “de mica en mica s’ompla la pica”, which translates to “little by little the sink fills up,” and is the phrase behind the name of the podcast, and means “one step at a time.”
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Taking the wheel - Inside the 1971 SEAT strike in Barcelona

SEAT is known as one of the largest companies in Catalonia and one of the biggest car manufacturers in Europe, selling over half a million cars in 2023 alone.
The classic SEAT 600 was more than just a car - it was the model that democratized driving in Spain, got millions of people on the road, and served as a symbol of a rapidly industrializing country in the mid-20th century.
On October 18, 1971, in the final decade of the Franco dictatorship, a pivotal moment in the workers’ rights movement occurred when SEAT workers staged a strike at the Zona Franca factory in Barcelona to protest the unjust firing of their colleagues.
What began as a labor strike escalated into a deadly 12-hour clash with Franco police, resulting in the tragic killing of worker Antonio Ruiz Villalba, and numerous injuries.
Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to discuss the 1971 SEAT strike -  one of the biggest flashpoints of late Francoist Spain, what led up to it, and what the outcome was.
We will also hear first-hand accounts from Pedro López, who was one of the strike organizers, as well as Carles Vallejo, one of the dismissed workers.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “fer historia” which means “to make history.”
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

The big move to Barcelona - Expectations versus reality

Last Saturday, around 5,000 people gathered for the 11th edition of the Barcelona International Community Day at the Maritime Museum, just off the famous La Rambla boulevard.
The annual event welcomes the international community for a day of talks, workshops,  and networking activities to help newcomers to Catalonia settle in, meet people, and get tips on how to enjoy the Catalan capital.
Lorcan Doherty and Gerard Escaich Folch from the Catalan News came prepared to the event with a Catalonia trivia quiz and got to chat with readers and listeners about what their expectations were when they made the big move, and how these compared with the reality once they were here.
Whether people came for a job opportunity, the good weather, or were inspired by a novel, they are now part of the growing international community that makes up a quarter of all residents living in Barcelona.
Gerard sits down with host Lea Beliaeva Bander to catch up on all that went down during the event.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Benvinguts, passeu, passeu” - in English “Welcome, come in, come in”, which is part of the chorus of the Catalan singer-songwriter Jaume Sisa’s popular song “Qualsevol nit pot sortir el sol.”
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Key to the safe? The new Catalan financing model explained

While most people were away on vacation this summer, it was announced that the Catalan Socialists had made a deal with the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana to create a new financing model in Catalonia. If approved, it will be implemented in 2026.
The deal would, among other things, give Catalonia more economic independence and create what some call a “fairer” system. Other, more critical voices have characterized it as “poison for the welfare state”.
But what exactly does this new proposal entail and how is it different from the current tax system?
Lorcan Doherty and Lea Beliaeva Bander explain everything you need to know about the model, from what the changes will mean for Catalonia and Spain to how Spanish and Catalan politicians have reacted.
We will also break down concepts such as the “solidarity payment,” and the ranking principle, or “el principi d’ordinalitat”.
Núria Bosch and Maite Vilalta, the co-directors of the Fiscal Federalism Observatory at the Barcelona Institute of Economics and professors of economics at the University of Barcelona, explain how the new Catalan model compares to federal taxing systems in other parts of the world.
The Catalan phrase of the week is “la clau de la caixa,” which means “the key to the safe”. It not strictly an idiom, but a phrase used often when discussing the new deal.
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

‘El 47’ - Barcelona’s hidden story of resilience and community

The Catalan capital on the Mediterranean coast has always been a city that attracts immigration, whether people come in search of a better job, a better life, or just an adventure. Barcelona inhabitants - old and new -  are also known as people who are always ready to fight for their rights. The latest movie, ‘El 47’, tells one of these stories.
Set in the late 1970s in the marginalized neighborhood of Torre Baró, on the side of the Collserola mountain range that surrounds the Catalan capital, it centers around Manolo Vital, an immigrant from the southern Spanish region of Extremadura, who came to Barcelona in the 1950s to escape Francoist repression.
He and many others bought small plots of land on the outskirts of the city and began building their homes and the neighborhood from the ground up, with little support from local Barcelona authorities.
As a result, the residents lacked basic services such as electricity, running water, paved roads, schools, and buses.
But one day, Manolo Vital took matters into his own hands.
Emma Monrós Rosell joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the story behind the movie. We also catch up with Marcel Barrena, the director of ‘El 47’, as well as leading actors Eduard Fernández, Zoe Bonafonte, and Carlos Cuevas.
We also visit Torre Baró and hear from José Antonio Martínez and José Antonio Romero, who explain some of the current challenges facing the neighborhood.
The Catalan phrase of the week is “fer més voltes que un rellotge,” similar to the English “to work around the clock”.
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat. 

Back to school - the rise of international schools in Catalonia

This week marks the official back-to-school week in Catalonia.
According to official figures, 1.3 million Catalans have started or returned to classrooms, noisy schoolyards, and the routine of heavy backpacks and homework.
While the vast majority of Catalan students attend public schools, a growing number are enrolled in private institutions, particularly international schools.
Over the past decade, Catalonia has become an international hub, increasing the demand for international schools, which are private institutions where the curriculum differs from the Catalan one.
Catalonia is now home to nearly fifty international schools, three of which are in the top ten of Forbes’ 2024 list of the 100 best schools in Spain.
Oriol Escudé Macià joins host Lea Beliaeva Bander, to explore the world of international schools - from tuition fees and languages taught to the student body they attract.
We also talk to postdoctoral researcher Andrea Sunyol as well as education consultant and founder of My Barcelona School, Anya van der Drift, who shed light on why international schools have become so popular, what they offer, and how they have evolved.
The Catalan phrase is “posar-se les piles,” which literally translates to “put in the batteries”, and means to get more active or energetic, sometimes after a long vacation, much like the English phrase “get to work” - appropriate for the back-to-school season.

New Socialist cycle - What’s next for Catalan politics?

It’s September - a time that means back to work, school, or the start of something new. This year, the same can be said for Catalan politics, as Salvador Illa has been sworn in as the new president of the Catalan government.
For the first time since 2010, the Catalan Socialist Party has taken power, but more importantly, the leadership now rests with a party that opposes Catalan independence.
After the former Catalan President, Pere Aragonès, of the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana, failed to secure enough support for the 2024 budget, a snap election was called in May.
The socialists, led by Salvador Illa, won in terms of seats and votes, but fell short of an absolute majority, forcing them to seek support from other parties.
After months of political wrangling and re-election talks, Illa secured the necessary support from Esquerra Republicana and left-wing Comuns Sumar to be appointed president of Catalonia.
However, before Illa could be sworn in, Catalonia was shaken by the return and subsequent mysterious escape of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who left Catalonia for Belgium after the 2017 independence referendum.
On this week’s podcast, Gerard Escaich Folch once again joins Lea Beliava Bander to unpack who the new socialist government is, what the road to the presidency was like, and some of the major challenges facing the new minority government.
We will also explore what the future holds for the fragmented pro-independence movement and answer the question: Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in Catalan politics?
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Quan una porta es tanca, una altra s'obre,” in English “When one door closes, another one opens.”
Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Colors of Catalan modernism - brushstrokes of a new era

Modernism is one of the most important art movements in Catalonia, one that played a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity of Catalonia at the turn of the 20th century.
The movement drew clear inspiration from parallel artistic trends throughout Europe, known by different names such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, or Modern Style.
While the world of painters was very male-dominated, with Catalans Ramon Casas and Santiago Rusiñol responsible for bringing the movement from Paris to Catalonia, a few women also made their mark on the movement in Catalonia, namely Lluïsa Vidal.  
Emma Monrós Rosell joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to delve into this pivotal art movement, exploring some of its defining characteristics and motifs, as well as some of its most influential artists.
We hear from art historian Elina Norandi, who sheds light on the notable absence of women in this movement, and we share some recommendations for contemporary female Catalan artists to watch.
This week’s Catalan phrase is “Una flor no fa estiu, ni dues primavera,” which translates as ”One swallow does not make a summer.”Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat