Little by little the sink fills up… Filling the Sink is a podcast in English on all things Catalan. Every week the Catalan News team explores a different aspect of Catalonia, from news and politics, to society and culture. Whether you live in Catalonia and need some of the current issues explained, or you’re simply curious about what makes this place tick. Either way, Filling the Sink has got you covered. Don’t worry if you don’t know much about this corner of land nestled between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. As they say in Catalonia, ”de mica en mica, s‘omple la pica” - little by little, the sink fills up. Filling the Sink is a podcast from Catalan News.
Episodes
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
The Father of Catalan Modernism - How Lluís Domènech i Montaner started a movement
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
Architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner is best known for designing Barcelona’s famous Palau de la Música Catalana and the Sant Pau Hospital, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. But he was also a renowned professor, with big-name students like Antoni Gaudí, and a key figure in Catalan politics. This week marks a hundred years since his death on December 27, 1923.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Alt com un Sant Pau," which translates literally to "Tall like Saint Paul," and is used when referring to a very tall person.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lea Beliaeva.
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
Antoni Tàpies’ centenary - Avant garde art that makes you think
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
This week marks 100 years since the birth of one of Catalonia's most renowned artists of the 20th century: Antoni Tàpies. He's best known for his abstract art and avant-garde works, which experimented with materials such as wood, marble dust, chairs and socks. In this episode, we’ll hear from museum curators on why Tàpies’ work is still relevant today and get an intimate look into the artist’s home life from Tàpies’ very own son.
The Catalan quote of the week was said by Antoni Tàpies in 1990: "My illusion is to have something to transmit. If I can't change the world, at least I want to change the way people look at it."
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Cillian Shields.
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
All you need is water – Catalonia confronts historic drought
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
Saturday Dec 09, 2023
Catalonia is experiencing the worst drought on record, with reservoirs as low as 18 percent and local governments preparing for drastic measures – such as shipping in fresh water. And this is due, in large part, to climate change. For years, the territory has been getting hotter and drier weather, leading to drained reservoirs, wildfires and lost harvests. In this episode, we’ll talk to an environmental organization about what more should be done and to a farmer’s union on how the agriculture industry is affected.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "El peix que es mossega la cua," which translates literally to "The fish that bites its own tail," and is used when talking about a vicious cycle.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lea Beliaeva and Oriol Escudé.
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Hot plates, haute cuisine - Growing a more sustainable culinary world
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Catalonia has the most Michelin stars in all of Spain - with a whopping 70 in all. The last three stars were added just this week, at a gala held in Barcelona to announce the restaurants that would be included in the 2024 Michelin Guide to Spain. One of them is a Barcelona joint, Disfrutar, that was given its third star – the highest achievement in the guide’s ranking.
In this episode, we’ll talk about Catalonia’s world-renowned cuisine and visit a restaurant in Igualada, Somiatruites, that has a Green Michelin star for its focus on sustainability.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Descobrir la sopa d’all," which translates literally to "Discover garlic soup," and is used when someone claims to do something new but is actually recycling an old idea.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lorcan Doherty.
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Olive you at a lower price - what’s behind the high cost of basic food products?
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
Saturday Nov 25, 2023
These days, going grocery shopping is making more of a dent in our wallets than usual. The cost of many basic food products – including olive oil, milk and eggs – has risen more than thirty percent in just two years. That’s due to several factors; among them, the ongoing inflation across much of Europe. But shoppers aren’t the only ones affected by price increases – farmers are just as fazed.
In this episode, we’ll hear from the Catalan Farmers Union and talk to Barcelona residents about how they’ve changed their shopping habits.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Mitja figa, mig raïm," which translates literally to "half fig, half grape," and is used when someone is undecided.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Oriol Escudé and Lea Beliaeva.
Saturday Nov 18, 2023
Pedro Sánchez reelection – and the amnesty deal that made it possible
Saturday Nov 18, 2023
Saturday Nov 18, 2023
Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez was sworn in as prime minister on Friday, bringing an end to a four-month long saga of inconclusive results from the July elections. The new coalition government with left-wing Sumar was made possible by the support of smaller parties like Catalan pro-independence Esquerra Republicana and Junts, securing Sánchez a total of 179 votes in the 350-member chamber. But the re-election comes with a controversial amnesty deal that would benefit those involved in the Catalan pro-independence push of the last decade, including exiled political leaders.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Tarda d’hora," which means “sooner or later.”
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Gerard Escaich Folch.
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
We are 8 million - Catalonia’s older, densely-packed and foreign-born population
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Catalonia has reached a new population record of 8 million residents. The growth has come quicker than ever before - jumping by 1 million inhabitants in just 17 years. And that’s despite having some of the lowest fertility rates in the world. So, how does the math add up? Well, there are two main factors at play: people are living longer and there are more foreign-born residents.
In this episode, we’ll get reactions from a range of people on the street and talk to Albert Esteve, director of the Center for Demographic Studies.
The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Entre poc i massa," which translates literally to "between a little and too much," and is used when someone exaggerates.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lorcan Doherty, Oriol Escudé and Guifré Jordan.
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
From neither here nor there - what’s it like to integrate in Catalonia?
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
There are around 1.6 million foreign-born residents in Catalonia, almost 400,000 of whom live in Barcelona. They come from all over the world: Pakistan, China, Venezuela, Senegal, Romania. But the stats don’t tell us the full story. Why did they come here? Are they adapting to life in Catalonia? Do they feel at home or completely out of place?
In this episode, we’ll hear from a number of migrants who spoke to us at the Barcelona International Community Day and talk to cross-cultural management professor Marina Ruiz Tada.
Presented by Lucía Benavides with Gerard Escaich Folch and Cillian Shields.
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
No place like home - Barcelona’s social housing shortage
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Barcelona has one of the lowest subsidy rates for public housing in all of Europe: only 1.7% of rental properties are designated for social housing. Compared to other EU countries, where the average rate is 18%, the Catalan capital's situation looks pretty grim. In this episode, we’ll learn about one of the first social housing projects in Barcelona, the cases barates of the Bon Pastor neighborhood, and talk to grassroots activists from the Platform for Mortgage Victims to understand what can be done today. The Catalan phrase of the week is "com a casa no hi ha res," which translates to "there's no place like home." Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lea Beliaeva and Lorcan Doherty.
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
100 years of Joan Oró - the man who wanted to understand the origin of life
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
This month marks what would have been Catalan biochemist Joan Oró’s 100th birthday. His ground-breaking research on the origin of life granted him fame in the 1950s, leading to important collaborations with NASA on the possibility of life on other planets. In this episode, we take a trip back through his extraordinary life to learn about his contributions to science and his investment in academic organizations in Catalonia. Presented by Lucía Benavides with Cillian Shields.