Filling the Sink

Catalan cuisine – superstar chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants

On today's menu, a mouthwatering starter in the form of an interview with Carme Ruscalleda, a passionate, virtuoso chef who has been awarded seven Michelin stars across three restaurants in Catalonia and Japan. 
For the main course, Judith Càlix from Cuina, Catalonia's favorite foodie magazine, on 20 years of food revolution and five young chefs to check out right now. 
And for dessert, a visit to Alkimia in Barcelona, to hear head chef Jordi Vilà's take on the philosophy and business of running a Michelin-starred restaurant.  
Your maître d' is Lorcan Doherty and Alan Ruiz Terol serves up the palate cleansers. 
This week's Catalan phrase is 'a la taula i al llit, al primer crit', literally 'to the table and to bed on the first shout', it means you should go to eat or sleep straight away when you're called. 
The five young chefs recommended by Judith Càlix are Arnau Muñío, Eli Nolla, Joseba Cruz, Arnau Bosch and Martina Puigvert. More information on Cuina's website. 

Fruit pickers and street vendors – migrants' struggle for decent work

Many migrants to Catalonia from lower-income countries find themselves doing precarious summer work, such as harvesting fruit in the fields around Lleida, or selling goods on the streets of Barcelona and other cities.  
Serigne Mamadou, a seasonal worker from Senegal, Llibert Reixach, from the Fruita and Justícia Social seasonal workers' rights group and Jaume Pedrós of the Unió de Pagesos farmers union give their perspectives on whether the situation for fruit harvesters has improved since last year, when Covid-19 outbreaks and images of workers sleeping rough hit the headlines. 
Xènia Palau visits the Top Manta shop and factory, set up by the street vendors' union as a way to provide legitimate work and sell their own brands of clothes and shoes. Papalaye and Lamine explain the challenges of working as a street seller (or manter in Catalan after the blankets where they display their wares) and the success and strength of the shop and union. 
Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to put these stories in the wider context of immigration, racism, the economy, policing and social policy. 
This week's Catalan phrase is 'amb una sabata i una espardenya,' literally, with a shoe and an espadrille, which is a type of traditional Catalan rope-soled summer shoe. It means to get by with what you've got. 

Supercomputer and particle accelerator – cutting edge research in Catalonia

From black holes to climate change to Covid-19, cutting edge research is taking place in Catalonia. Barcelona Supercomputing Center and ALBA Synchrotron are two high tech research facilities that are key to the country's contribution to the global scientific effort to enhance our understanding of the world around us and address the challenges of the 21st century.   
Guifré Jordan visits ALBA Synchrotron, where electrons are accelerated to produce x-ray beams that allow scientists to see the atomic structure of matter and study its properties. Salvador Ferrer, Eduardo Solano and Julian Steele explain how the facility works and its role in their research.  
Xènia Palau joins Lorcan Doherty to describe the scientific discoveries made possible by the MareNostrum supercomputer at Barcelona Supercomputing Center, and the plans to upgrade what is already one of the world's most powerful machines.  
This week's Catalan phrase is "La paciencia es la mare de la ciencia," or, patience is the mother of science. 

Fifth Covid wave - causes, restrictions and FAQs

Catalonia is in the midst of its fifth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Faced with record numbers of daily cases and rising hospitalizations the government has introduced a 1am to 6am curfew for the worst-hit towns and cities, including Barcelona, affecting some 80% of the population. 
Enric Alvarez, a member of the BIOCOM-SC research team at UPC considers the reasons behind this dramatic rise in transmission, especially among young people, and whether it could have been predicted or avoided. 
Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the latest figures and restrictions, and respond to readers' questions about vaccinations, quarantining and EU digital Covid certificates. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "ensopegar dues vegades amb la mateixa pedra", which means to stumble over the same stone twice. 

Expanding Barcelona Airport - economic necessity or environmental folly?

A new satellite terminal and a runway extension. That's what AENA, the company that manages Barcelona Airport, says is needed if it is to be an international hub. Catalan society and local authorities are divided on the issue, with business leaders arguing it is essential for the economy, while environmentalists warn against the destruction of the Llobregat delta and increased carbon emissions. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss the arguments for and against expansion. 
Òscar Oliver, infrastructure management professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and Olivier Chantry, an organic vegetable farmer and the Catalan Farmers Union's biodiversity and climate change representative in Baix Llobregat, give their thoughts.  
This week's Catalan phrase is "tants caps, tants barrets," literally "as many heads as there are hats," it means that there are as many opinions as there are people. 

After pardons for independence leaders, what comes next?

On June 23, 2021, after three and a half years behind bars, nine Catalan politicians and activists in jail for their roles during the 2017 independence push were released after receiving pardons from the Spanish president. 
We look back on that historic day and the lead up to it and discuss what lies ahead, with a return to negotiations between the Spanish and Catalan governments on the horizon. 
Alan Ruiz Terol joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss why, within the independence camp, the pardons have been given a lukewarm reception, seen as a half measure falling well short of a general amnesty.
Marc Sanjaume-Calvet, professor of political science at the Open University of Catalonia, explains why the Spanish executive took this decision to pardon the independence leaders, and the impact the move could have on Spanish politics as a whole.  
This week's Catalan phrase is "Per Sant Joan, el primer bany," meaning that Saint John's Eve, June 23, is the night for the first swim of the year. 

Housing crisis – soaring rents and eviction epidemic

Soaring rents in Catalonia – especially in the capital Barcelona – have pushed housing to the top of the social and political agenda. Evictions, sometimes with a heavy police presence, are commonplace, despite a moratorium for vulnerable people during the pandemic. 
At the top level, the Spanish government is taking Catalonia's rent cap law to court for overstepping regional powers, while on the ground, a powerful network of grassroots organizations supports those who face being forced from their homes. 
Cristina Tomàs White brings us the stories of three women in Barcelona affected by the housing crisis. Scarlett Reiners provides a picture of how the situation compares to other parts of Europe. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "llençar la casa per la finestra," literally "to throw your house out the window," it means to spend a lot of money on something.  
Filling the Sink is presented by Lorcan Doherty and produced by Catalan News. 

A guide to visiting Catalonia this summer, despite Covid

Where to go and what to do. A look at the rules and regulations for entering Spain from abroad as well as the Covid measures in place on arrival. 
Cillian Shields and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to chat about summer plans and tourist itineraries, including everything from adventure sports to wine tasting. They discuss what is open for tourists in Barcelona and, after a devastating summer last year, ask what hopes the tourism industry has for a recovery. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "fer l'agost", literally "to do August," it means to earn a lot of money. 

Barça Femení and women's football – treble success and fight for fairness

FC Barcelona Femení have had an incredible season, wrapping up the league with eight games to spare, becoming the first team from the Spanish league to become European champions, before winning the cup to complete a historic treble. Most importantly, they've done it all in style. 
Barça Femení's Laia Codina explains what these victories mean, both on and off the field. 
Cristina Tomàs White celebrates Barça's success but can't help but wonder how much attitudes have changed since she was put off playing football as a young girl. 
Cillian Shields chats to Lorcan Doherty about his recent match-day experience watching the blaugrana in action and discusses the fight for better working conditions and professionalism for all footballers in the top flight. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "obrir la llauna." Literally "open the can," it means to score the first goal in a match, normally after lots of pressure. 

Taxis vs Uber – Barcelona, hotspot of the conflict in Europe

The ride-hailing app Uber is back in Barcelona after a two-year absence. It's had to change its business model to comply with Catalan regulations, but many taxi drivers are still not happy and have taken to the streets in protest. 
Amid blaring car horns, Alan Ruiz Terol talks to demonstrators calling for a public app to compete with the likes of Uber and catches up with a former Cabify driver with mixed feelings. Yuri Fernández, Uber's spokesperson in Spain, argues that his company and taxi drivers should work together. 
Pieter Van Cleynenbreugel, a law professor at the University of Liège in Belgium, tells Cristina Tomàs White the impact the conflict in Barcelona is having at a European level. 
Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Montserrat – the mystic mountain with a 700-year-old boys' choir

Montserrat is a natural wonder, a rocky mountain range that rises from the plains of central Catalonia. It's a holy place, home to La Moreneta, the Virgin of Montserrat, and a Benedictine Abbey with a history stretching back one thousand years. Alan Ruiz Terol visits the Escolania de Montserrat, a 700-year-old boys' choir, and chats to Lorcan Doherty about what makes this place so special, for Catalans and visitors alike. 

Catalonia's new pro-independence government - what to expect

More than three months on from polling day, Catalonia's new government is taking shape. What can we expect from the incoming administration? 
Pere Aragonès has been elected the 132nd president of Catalonia, becoming the first member of Esquerra Republicana (ERC) to head up the executive since the 1930s. He will lead a pro-independence coalition of ERC and Junts per Catalunya, with support from the far-left CUP. Cristina Tomàs White profiles the new president, a meticulous, left-wing politician who can always be seen wearing a suit and tie. 
Catalan News deputy editor Guifré Jordan and Marc Sanjaume-Calvet, professor of political science at the Open University of Catalonia, join presenter Lorcan Doherty to discuss the make-up of the new government, its priorities and the challenges ahead. 
CatalanNews.com