Filling the Sink

Pa-tum Pa-tum Pa-tum – inside Berga’s wild medieval rave

Fire-breathing dragons, dancing giants, music, drums, fireworks… for five days every year thousands of people pack the narrow streets of Berga for a party like no other – La Patum! 
Guifré Jordan and Gerard Escaich Folch go along to witness the spectacle and chat to Cristina Urrea and Cristina Farràs from the Guita Grossa group, Xavi Prat, head of the Tabal drum group and Albert Rumbo, historian, and giant!
This week's Catalan phrase is 'Cada dia no és festa major', which means 'Not every day is a party', so enjoy it while it lasts! Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Catalonia’s ’Indians’ – contested legacy of colonial past

Catalonia's 'Indians' were merchants who sailed to the Americas to make their fortunes before returning to their homeland to enjoy their riches.
Gerard Escaich Folch travels to Begur where Anna Castellví from the Xarxa de Municipis Indians explains the architectural, social and cultural influence the returning emigrants had.
The links between 'Indians' and the slave trade are explored by Martín Rodrigo, professor of contemporary history at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.
Singer Neus Mar sings a havanera by the sea in Calella de Palafrugell.
This week's Catalan phrase is a song lyric: 'El meu avi', which means 'My Grandad'.
Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Summer 2022 – Music festivals, festes majors and more!

A summer festival special with live music and chat from Catalan artists The Tyets and Le Nais. Lorcan Doherty is joined by Cillian Shields and Angus Clelland to give the lowdown on what's happening in Catalonia this summer, from the major music festivals to the local festes majors and lots more. Plus DJ John Talabot on the joy of gigs and hugs after the trauma of the past two years. This week's Catalan phrase is 'cantar-li les quaranta'. Literally, 'to sing the forty', it means to tell someone off.  

Record breakers and history makers – Barça Femení and fans

First 91,553. Then 91,648.
Twice this season the fans of FC Barcelona Femení broke the world record attendance for an official women's football match.
Players – Fridolina Rölfo, Mariona Caldentey and Sandra Paños – and fans – Oriol, Marta and Noemí – describe the special bond that exists between this team and its supporters.
Cillian Shields and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to chat about the sporting and social phenomenon that is the Barcelona women's team, plus a look at Xavi's impact on the men's team and the renovation plans announced for the Camp Nou.
This week's Catalan phrase is 'aixafar la guitarra'. Literally, 'to smash the guitar', it is used when something ruins your plans.

Trash talk – is Catalonia’s recycling system working?

Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to look at the journey our waste goes on, from local neighborhood drop-off points to massive industrial-scale processing plants. Plus, innovative ways to get people to recycle more, including music jingles in Catalonia and Taiwan, and a quiz on what rubbish goes in which bin, with help from residuonvas.cat. This week's Catalan phrase is 'això fa olor a socarrim'. Literally, 'this smells burnt', it is used when something looks bad, similar to the English-language phrase 'this smells fishy'.  

Girona in bloom – Temps de Flors flower festival

Spring has sprung and Catalonia is in bloom. Nowhere more so than the historic city of Girona, which this time of year is transformed into a riot of color and life for the Temps de Flors flower festival.
Gerard Escaich Folch explores the artistry on display around the city and hears what visitors make of it. Angus Clelland gets a picture of the floral sector in Catalonia from Joan Guillen, president of the Catalan Florists' Association. This week's Catalan phrase is 'no tot són flors i violes'. Literally, 'not everything is flowers and violas', it means not everything is as nice as it seems. Presented by Lorcan Doherty.

Catalangate – Spain’s spyware surveillance operation in the spotlight

Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the ins and outs of Catalangate, Spain's alleged espionage operation – investigated by Citizen Lab and reported by the New Yorker – of over 65 Catalan pro-independence politicians, activists, and their close associates. With Spanish intelligence admitting to having spied on 18 individuals, and senior Spanish figures also targeted separately, we look at the legal and political fallout and hear from four of those targeted: Elisenda Paluzie, president of Catalan National Assembly, Esquerra MP Meritxell Serret, and lawyers Andreu Van den Eynde and Gonzalo Boye. This week's Catalan phrase is 'donar gat per llebre', literally 'to give cat for hare', it means to deceive someone by trying to pass one thing off as another. 

Alcarràs – Catalan cinema bears fruit on international stage

Alcarràs, from Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón, won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
At the premiere in Lleida, cast members chat to Filling the Sink about Simón's unique directing style and the movie's themes of traditional farming in the modern world.
Cillian Shields and Angus Clelland join Lorcan Doherty to chat about Alcarràs, as well as Simón's other films and the hallmarks of Catalan cinema.
Judith Colell, president of the Catalan Film Academy, explains how international success can benefit the next generation of Catalan filmmakers.
This week's Catalan phrase is 'com una casa de pagès'. Literally, 'like a farmhouse', it means something very big or obvious.  

Sant Jordi celebrations and bookshops battling online giants

Sant Jordi - Saint George - is the patron saint of Catalonia. His feast day, April 23, is a celebration of love, roses and romance, as well as books and literature. Lorcan Doherty is joined by Guifré Jordan and Angus Clelland to chat about what makes this day so special for Catalans and how independent book stores in Barcelona are trying to survive and thrive in the age of online shopping. This week's Catalan phrase is 'ploure a bots i barrals', similar to 'it's raining cats and dogs' in English.  

Keeping the faith – religious youth (and Easter cakes!)

With Catalonia becoming ever more secular, especially among younger generations, we hear from four people bucking that trend: Nagia, a Muslim; Gagandeep, a Sikh; Dolma, a Buddhist; and Gisela, a Catholic.
Plus, never mind Easter eggs, Lluís Estrada Canal of Pastisseria Canal explains everything you need to know about mones de pasqua, Catalonia's traditional Easter cakes.
Lorcan Doherty is joined by Cristina Tomàs White and Gerard Escaich Folch.
This week's Catalan phrase is 'encara que es vesteixi de seda, la mona, mona es queda'. It means 'even dressed in silk, a monkey is still a monkey'.

Food, glorious food! Mediterranean diet and veggie trends

We visit Alimentaria, one of the world's biggest food and drink trade fairs.
Cillian Shields learns about the Mediterranean diet, chatting artichokes with Montse Lozano from El Prat Agricultural Cooperative, olive oil with Victor Huguet from Oils of Catalonia, and pickled veg with Rioverde's Alejandra Rovira and Cristina Bezares.
Cristina Tomàs White looks at the past, present and future of vegetarianism with Flax & Kale's Jordi Barri, Maria Sánchez from Noel charcuterie, and Ana Torrejón, a chemical engineer developing cultured meat with Ainia.
This week's Catalan phrase is 's'ha acabat el bròquil'. Literally, 'the broccoli's over', it's used when there's nothing left of something or when something's done or finished.
Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Cost of living crisis – Ukraine war fuels price hikes and protests

Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the economic effects in Catalonia of the war in Ukraine.
Cristina Serradell, director of international trade at Catalonia Trade & Investment, explains how Catalan businesses and global supply chains are adjusting.
We hear from truckers and taxi drivers protesting against rising fuel costs, find out how soaring energy prices are hurting manufacturers, and ask what actions authorities are taking to address the crisis.
This week's Catalan phrase is 'has begut oli', literally 'you have drunk oil', it means you have made a big mistake.