Filling the Sink
Episodes
Diada 2023 – Pro-indy movement holds balance of power after Spanish election
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Filling the Sink takes the pulse of the political situation ahead of Catalonia’s National Day, La Diada, a big focal point for the independence camp...
One born every minute? – Catalonia’s record low fertility rate
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is behind Catalonia's falling birth rate and is it a cause for concern? Interviews with Antonio López-Gay from Barcelona's Centre for Demographi...
Cycling in Catalonia – Riding hotspot Girona and La Vuelta kicks off from Barcelona
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Catalonia hosts the first four stages of La Vuelta 2023, Filling the Sink visits Girona to discover what makes the area so perfect for cycling. Cil...
Young entrepreneurs – from fashion to fruit, microelectronics to meals at work
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Success stories from young Catalan entrepreneurs who started their own businesses from scratch. With Bruno Casanovas of fashion label Nude Project, Ca...
Somorrostro and the hidden history of Barcelona’s shanty towns
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barcelona’s image today is one of a modern, European city, but within living memory a very different Barcelona existed, a forgotten city of shanty ...
The Sugar Boy – The life and times of anarcho-syndicalist Salvador Seguí
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Salvador Seguí, known as El noi del sucre, The Sugar Boy, was a key figure in Catalonia's impassioned, revolutionary and deadly workers' movement in ...
Passeig de Gràcia – 200 years of Barcelona’s grandest boulevard
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Home to architectural masterpieces, luxury brands and very expensive flats, Passeig de Gràcia is celebrating 200 years. Emma Monrós and Cillian Shie...
LGBTQI+ in Catalonia – Pride and the fight for equality
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Barcelona celebrates Pride, Cristina Tomàs White and Kate Naessens join Lorcan Doherty to chat about the history of gay and trans rights in Catalo...
Spanish election preview – polls, permutations and a look back on the last four years
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On July 23, Spain goes to the polls again, this time for a snap general election. Guifré Jordan joins Lorcan Doherty to chat about what the polls say...
Buckle up and cool down – Catalonia’s amusement parks and water parks
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up! Filling the Sink goes on a roller coaster ride through Catalonia’s theme parks and water parks. We venture into ‘Uncharted’ territory...
The magic of Sant Joan – bonfires, firecrackers, coques and more
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bona revetlla! Saint John’s Eve, June 23, is a noisy, all-night affair of food and drink, music and dancing, fireworks and bonfires. Emma Monrós an...
Water polo – how Catalonia became a mecca for world’s top players
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Catalonia is one of the world’s water polo hotspots. Catalan clubs are among the top teams in Europe and dominate the Spanish league. Atlètic-Barce...
What makes us human? Catalonia’s role in biggest ever primate genome study
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The most comprehensive investigation into primate genomes, recently published, shed new light on features of primate evolution, human disease and biod...
Primavera, Sónar and more! Summer festivals 2023
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Festival season kicks off in Catalonia with the biggest of the lot, Primavera Sound. Gerard Escaich Folch heads to Parc del Fòrum and talks to music ...
Catalonia’s local election results – Trias takes BCN and Socialists surge
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Guifré Jordan joins Lorcan Doherty for analysis of the local election results. The Socialists surge to top spot in Catalonia but are edged out in Bar...
Cruising for a bruising? – Barcelona’s cruise ship debate rumbles on
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barcelona is Europe's busiest cruise port, with around 800 cruise ships carrying more than 3 million passengers a year. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan D...
Local elections 2023 – tight races throughout Catalonia
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Catalonia goes to the polls on Sunday, May 28, with voters in almost 1,000 municipalities set to choose the new makeup of their city and town councils...
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA, adored in BCN
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bruce Springsteen has legions of fans all around the world but 'The Boss' has an undoubted special connection with Barcelona and its people. Filling t...
The Negreira affair – FC Barcelona and the referee payments scandal
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
FC Barcelona look set to win their first league title since 2019 but off the pitch the club has been engulfed by a scandal over payments to a former r...
Libraries of Catalonia – architectural wonders and hidden gems
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the Sant Jordi weekend, Filling the Sink explores some of Catalonia's beautiful libraries and the hidden gems in the collections within. Guifr...
From sketch to screen – the Catalan artists designing Hollywood’s favorite animated movie characters
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Barcelona-based award-winning Grangel Studio has worked on some of the biggest animated feature films of the last decades, from The Prince of Egyp...
Picasso – How should the artist be remembered 50 years on?
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Filling the Sink examines the legacy of Pablo Picasso on the 50th anniversary of his death. Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Dohe...
Barcelona’s Civil War bomb shelters, 85 years on
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
85 years on from the Bombing of Barcelona, a new photography exhibition aims to shine a light on the air raid shelters that saved so many lives during...
One of a kind – Cerdanya Hospital, Europe’s first cross-border health center
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nestled high in the Pyrenees lies a unique European experiment – Cerdanya Hospital, jointly financed and governed by Catalonia and France, and carin...
Major cyberattacks in Catalonia – how, why, and what happens next
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On March 5, 2023, a cyberattack wreaked havoc on Hospital Clínic, one of Barcelona's leading public hospitals, causing surgery and appointments to be...
Maria Branyas – the oldest person in the world
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In January 2023 US-born Catalan woman Maria Branyas became the oldest verified living person in the world and on March 4 she celebrated her 116th birt...
Gender-based violence – a survivor’s story in a changing society
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Filling the Sink travels to a SIE center that helps women affected by gender-based violence to hear the story of one survivor and the thoughts of cent...
Stories of Ukrainian refugees and Russian dissidents in Catalonia – one year on
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One year on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Filling the Sink hears stories from Ukrainian refugees and Russian dissidents who have fled ...
Carnival time! – food (and food fights), parades and parties
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Filling the Sink travels to two coastal towns famous for their carnival shenanigans – Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sitges. Expect food fights and rauco...
Skiing in the Catalan Pyrenees – guide to slopes and sustainability conundrum
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's ski season! Wrap up warm, grab your goggles and gloves, this week Filling the Sink heads to the slopes with a guide to skiing in the Catalan Pyre...
Movie director J.A. Bayona – from Barcelona to Hollywood
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lauded by Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro, Barcelona-born J.A. Bayona is the director of movies like The Impossible, A Monster Calls and Juras...
CANADA – the Catalans making music videos for stars like Rosalía and Dua Lipa
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do Rosalía, Nike, Dua Lipa, Apple, Tame Impala and IKEA have in common? They have all had videos made for them by CANADA – a Barcelona-based p...
Orwell, the Civil War and more – homage to writers who made Catalonia home
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
George Orwell, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez. Just some of the 20th Century's greatest writers who for a time called Catalonia home. Tadhg Pr...
Catalan connections – high-speed rail guide, night train rumors, cross-border links
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Guifré Jordan joins Lorcan Doherty for this guide to Catalonia's high-speed rail connections. Cristina Tomàs White takes a trip to Paris from Barcel...
New Year – 2022 in quotes and a look ahead to 2023
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bon any nou! Guifré Jordan and Gerard Escaich Folch join Lorcan Doherty to see what 2023 has in store in Catalonia, from politics and the economy to ...
Solidarity at Christmas – Charity drives, fundraisers, food banks and toy appeals
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas is a time of celebration, of family and friends, of giving and receiving gifts, but it can also be a very lonely and very expensive time of ...
Local elections lowdown – mayoral battles and how foreigners can vote
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Catalonia goes to the polls next May 28th but foreigners eligible to vote need to be registered much sooner. Cristina Tomàs White gives the lowdown o...
Abortion – the law and the reality in Catalonia
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to discuss abortion in Catalonia – what the law says, how it could change, and what the...
Fatima Ofkir - the young Catalan woman serving a life sentence in Oman
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 2017, Fatima Ofkir, then 18 years old, made a big mistake. The young Catalan woman was arrested in the Sultanate of Oman accused of d...
Casa Orsola – a symbol of Barcelona’s gentrification debate
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Casa Orsola in Barcelona's Eixample neighborhood has become a symbol of the city's struggle with gentrification, as long-term renters find themselves ...
So long, sedition – What will criminal code reform mean for Catalan and Spanish politics?
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2019, nine Catalan pro-independence leaders were found guilty of sedition for their roles in the independence push of 2017. Now, Spanish prime mini...
Not so wild - Catalonia’s wild boar problem
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Catalonia has a pig problem. Numbers of Sus scrofa, the Eurasian wild pig, have shot up in recent years and so too has the potential for conflict with...
Feeling the pinch – lowdown on inflation, bills and shopping tips
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a decade of low inflation and low interest rates, price hikes following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine have left many feeling...
Foodie favorites – a guide to (genuine!) Catalan grub
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Less paella and sangria and more esqueixada and escalivada – Lorcan Doherty is joined by Cillian Shields and Gerard Escaich Folch to chat about trad...
Bottoms up! - Barcelona’s cocktail bars in World’s Top 10
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Flamboyant drinks and clandestine bars, Barcelona’s cocktail scene has stepped up its game, overthrowing London and New York at the World's 50 Best ...
Government collapse - endgame or new start for independence camp?
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Almost a decade of collaboration among the main pro-independence parties ended on October 7 when members of Junts per Catalunya voted to exit the coal...
The unfinished MidCat pipeline – a solution for Europe’s energy crisis?
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As Europe faces an uncertain winter amid the energy crisis provoked by the war in Ukraine, Catalan, Spanish and German officials are looking at the Mi...
Independence referendum 5 years on - what happened, its legacy, movement in limbo
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
October 1, 2017 was a day like no other in Catalonia. An independence referendum took palace despite Spain's ban and its police cracking down on voter...
The Barcelona patient - the extraordinary case of a functional HIV cure
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Known as “the Barcelona patient”, a 75 year-old-woman who has been off antiretrovirals for 15 years made headlines worldwide this summer when her ...
Drought - current state, impact on society, and sunken towns emerging
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Heavy rain and occasional drought are a common feature of Mediterranean weather, but the picture is looking quite worrying in 2022, with water levels ...
Back to school with many changes after educational reform
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Teachers and students are back in school again with significant changes compared to last year, after a recent wave of strikes, protests, and heated de...
Cava and beyond - Catalonia’s beloved sparkling wine
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Cava spans generations of winemakers, but today the territory's most exported sparkling wine is facing new challenges. Alejandra Angulo ...
Universal Basic Income - Catalonia’s Pilot Plan
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Culture Shocks - Meal times, intimacy, and other Catalan habits
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...