Filling the Sink

Drought - current state, impact on society, and sunken towns emerging

Heavy rain and occasional drought are a common feature of Mediterranean weather, but the picture is looking quite worrying in 2022, with water levels in reservoirs at 37 percent, according to the Catalan Water Agency, and consistently dropping over the past months. 
Alejandra Angulo Alonso is joined by Guifré Jordan and Cillian Shields to discuss the widespread impacts of the drought in Catalonia. We visit Sant Romà de Sau, where an 11th-century church, usually hidden by the Sau reservoir, has emerged from the water, attracting tourists and curious locals. We also speak with Àngel Font, a former resident of the old village now reappearing above the water.
This week's Catalan phrase is actually a tongue twister – ‘Plou poc, però pel poc que plou, plou prou’, which means, “It rains little, but for the little bit that it rains, it rains enough.”

Back to school with many changes after educational reform

Teachers and students are back in school again with significant changes compared to last year, after a recent wave of strikes, protests, and heated debates within the education sector.
Alejandra Angulo Alonso is joined by Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch to discuss the new changes and take a look at the future challenges of the Catalan education system. We visit a local school and speak with teachers and parents about what’s new this academic year. 
This week's Catalan phrase is ‘Tenir més paciència que un mestre d'escola’, which means ‘To be more patient than a school teacher’

Cava and beyond - Catalonia’s beloved sparkling wine

The story of Cava spans generations of winemakers, but today the territory's most exported sparkling wine is facing new challenges.
Alejandra Angulo Alonso is joined by Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch to discuss the history of cava, the differences between this and other sparkling wines, as well as the impact of climate change and supply chain disruptions during the 2022 harvest season.
Join us as we visit Codorníu, the oldest winery in Catalonia located in the Penedès region, south of Barcelona. We hear from cava experts about their passion for sparkling wines and new sustainable production methods. Cheers! This week's Catalan phrase is 'Cap de suro', it translates to "cork head", but it actually means ignorant! 
 

Universal Basic Income - Catalonia’s Pilot Plan

The scheme's ultimate goal is to cut poverty. How’s Catalonia going to do it?
Alejandra Angulo Alonso is joined by Cristina Tomàs White to discuss Catalonia’s Universal Basic Income pilot project, an ambitious social experiment that will give people an unconditional monthly payment, starting from January 2023 to December 2024.
We also hear from social scientist, Bru Laín, on the specifics of Catalonia’s scheme, while professor Jurgen De Wispelaere from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga give us an overview of other countries' experiences developing UBI trials. 
This week's Catalan phrase is ‘Pagant, Sant Pere canta’ which means everything is possible with money.  

Culture Shocks - Meal times, intimacy, and other Catalan habits

Whether you’re new to Catalonia or a local about to move abroad, tune in for some advice and funny stories on coping with culture shock. Alejandra Angulo Alonso, Cillian Shields, and Gerard Escaich Folch ask tourists what has been their biggest culture shock so far and a psychology professor from the University of Barcelona explains the difficulties of being in unfamiliar environments. This week's Catalan phrase is ‘Allà on vagis, fes el que vegis fer allí’. A close contender in English would be “When in Rome do as the Romans do.”

Catalan Rumba - a genre full of history

When it comes to music genres in Catalonia, there is hardly a more iconic one than Catalan Rumba, born in the Romani communities of Barcelona.
Alejandra Angulo is joined by Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch to talk you through Catalan Rumba's origins, main figures, and current state. All this and more while playing great hits!  
This week's Catalan phrase is ''Amics per sempre”. Literally, 'friends forever', our little homage to the song performed by Catalan band “Los Manolos”.

Catalonia’s oldest train line threatened by climate change

Storms, rising sea levels, and political disputes have put the future of Catalonia’s - and Spain’s - oldest train line at risk. Will the famed R1 Maresme railway survive the rapid effects of climate change?
Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch chat with locals, officials and environmental experts to find out more about this issue.
This week's Catalan phrase is “perdre el tren”, which means ''losing an opportunity.” Presented by Alejandra Angulo Alonso.

1992 Olympics - the event that changed Barcelona forever

The 1992 Summer Olympic Games are the sporting event that put Barcelona on the world map and changed the city forever. In this episode, we take a nostalgic look back at the sporting memories, the opening and closing ceremonies, and the architectural legacy of the epic Summer Olympics of 1992 in the month of its 30th anniversary. Cillian Shields and Guifré Jordan interview Olympic medalists, a volunteer during the event, and an official for the Olympic stadium. 
This week's Catalan phrase is “això va vent en popa a tota vela”, which means that a project is going well.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites – cultural and architectural gems of Catalonia

Catalonia boasts many UNESCO World Heritage Sites, most of them located in the city of Barcelona. But beyond Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, and the Sagrada Família,  there is an amazing world of historic architecture and beautiful natural landscapes that form the building blocks of Catalan culture. In this episode, we take you on a journey to all of these places, inside the capital and beyond.
Cillian Shields heads to Palau de la Música Catalana, one of Barcelona's most emblematic UNESCO World Heritage Sites, designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. He is shown around the venue by Mercè Mill, who leads the team of tour guides at the historic concert hall owned by the Orfeó Català choral society.
This week's Catalan phrase is “Passar a la història”, which means ''to become historic.” Presented by Alejandra Angulo Alonso.

Mass Tourism – debate reopens as visitors return to Catalonia after pandemic

With a huge number of tourists returning after the pandemic, prices going up, and more than 800 cruise ships expected to arrive in Barcelona this summer, the sharp influx of visitors has once again sparked the debate among locals and within the city council. Is Catalonia, and especially its capital, ready to survive the boiling summer?  
Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch go on a field trip to some of the busiest places in the Catalan capital where tourists flock. They chat with locals, visitors, and representatives of the hospitality sector about what to expect this season. 
This week's Catalan phrase is Barcelona és bona, si la bossa sona, which means ''Barcelona is happy with the sound of jingling pocket.” Presented by Alejandra Angulo Alonso.

Joan Miró - the Catalan who painted the stars

A painter and a sculptor, an anti-fascist and proud Catalan, rooted in the earth and gazing at the stars.
Cillian Shields and Lorcan Doherty chat about the life and works, and the unique imagination of Joan Miró, one of the giants of twentieth century art.
Marko Daniel, director of the Miró Foundation in Barcelona, explores how places – Barcelona, Mont-roig del Camp, Paris, Mallorca – and turbulent times – the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Franco dictatorship – shaped the man and his art.
This week's Catalan phrase is one uttered by Miró: 'Jo vull assassinar la pintura', or 'I want to kill painting'.

Castells – Catalonia’s amazing human towers

Not for the faint-hearted, castells are human towers that can reach up to 10 stories high – that's 10 groups of people stacked on top of each other!
Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to delve into 'el mon casteller', the world of human towers.
We visit one of the gravity-defying groups in Barcelona, the Castellers de Sants, and chat to Ignasi Escamilla from the Catalan Human Tower Groups Association (Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres de Catalunya).
This week's Catalan phrase is 'fer pinya', which comes from the human tower tradition and means to come together for a common goal, to collaborate.