Durada: 23 min

It's September - a time for returning to work, school or starting something new. This is also the case in Catalan politics, as Salvador Illa has been sworn in as the new president of the Catalan government. For the first time since 2010, the Socialist Party is in power, but more importantly, the leadership now rests with a party that opposes Catalan independence. Although the Socialists won the most seats and votes in May's snap election, they fell short of an absolute majority, forcing them to seek support from other parties, which they did after months of political wrangling. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliava Bander to unpack the challenges facing the new socialist government and its road to the presidency. We will also explore the future of the pro-independence movement and answer the question: Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in Catalan politics? This week's Catalan phrase is "Quan una porta es tanca, una altra s'obre," in English "When one door closes, another one opens".

Durada: 17 min

Modernism is one of the most important art movements in Catalonia, one that played a crucial role in shaping the cultural identity of Catalonia at the turn of the 20th century, while drawing clear inspiration from parallel artistic trends throughout Europe. Catalan painters Ramon Casas and Santiago Rusiñol were responsible for bringing the movement from Paris to Catalonia, but a few women, namely Lluïsa Vidal, also made their mark on modernism in Catalonia. Emma Monrós Rosell joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to delve into this significant art movement, exploring some of its defining characteristics and motifs, as well as some of its most influential artists. We hear from art historian Elina Norandi, who sheds light on the notable absence of women in this movement, and we share some recommendations for contemporary female Catalan artists to watch. This week's Catalan phrase is "Una flor no fa estiu, ni dues primavera," which transaltes as "One swallow does not make a summer."

Durada: 21 min

For centuries, Catalans have enjoyed 'l'hora del vermut', a time of day when people slow down and sip a cool glass of vermouth and catch up on life. But what exactly is vermouth, where does it come from, and is it difficult to make yourself? Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about all things vermut and to visit the self-proclaimed Land of vermouth, Les Vermudes, located in the Sant Antoni neighborhood of Barcelona. There, our vermouth professor Elena tells us all about this versatile drink. And if that weren't enough, we also got to make our own. This week we couldn't decide on just one Catalan phrase, so we came up with two: 'Fer el vermut', which literally means to make a vermouth, and refers to the ritual of catching up with friends with or without a glass of vermouth. The second Catalan phrase is "Reus, Londres i París", or "Reus, London and Paris". To hear the story behind the second saying, check out this week's episode.

Durada: 21 min

Catalan literary agent Carmen Balcells considered a revolutionary in the publishing industry, single-handedly transformed the industry. She dignified the writing profession by banning lifetime contracts and ensuring writers could negotiate their terms. Her literary agency, founded during the Franco dictatorship in Spain, played a key role in the Latin American literary boom of the 1960s, discovering and publishing bestselling authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende. Balcells passed away in 2015, and August 9th would have been her 94th birthday. Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by Cillian Shields, who talks to Maribel Luque, director of the Carmen Balcells Literary Agency, and Laura Palomares, Balcells' granddaughter, about the professional and personal life of the icon. Instead of a Catalan phrase, we have chosen a quote from Balcells: "Anyone can write a good first book - it's in the second novel that writers prove themselves".

Durada: 18 min

Barcelona is the city in the world with the most extensive history of barricade fights. These words come from philosopher Friedrich Engels, and many other thinkers have pointed to Barcelona as the city of revolutions. 115 years ago, on July 25, 1909, the Catalan capital witnessed one of the first popular uprisings of the century, the Tragic Week or La Setmana Tràgica in Catalan. What began as an anti-war movement against conscription for the colonial war in Morocco, soon turned into an anti-clerical revolt, with more than 80 churches going up in flames. Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to revisit the uprising and explain the meaning behind Barcelona's nickname 'Rose of Fire.' We hear from historians Josep Pich and Salvador Lou, who explain how Barcelona became the capital of revolutionary movements. The Catalan phrase of the week is "jugar amb foc," which means to play with fire.

Durada: 23 min

Every year in Catalonia, the LGBTI+ community celebrates Pride, an almost month-long celebration with events, talks, and demonstrations culminating in the big Pride demonstration or parade in Barcelona, on Saturday, July 20th. Pride is also a moment to reflect on the work that needs to be done, and this year, the focus is on LGBTI+ education, under the title "Education in Sexual and Gender Diversity: A pending subject". Organizers and activists are calling for a more inclusive school curriculum and diversity training for teachers. Lorcan Doherty joins host Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the need for diversity-focused education in the classroom. We hear from Katy Pallàs, a longtime queer activist and former teacher; Olga Sánchez, a teacher at one of Barcelona's 'Rainbow Schools'; and Teo Pardo, a biology teacher and trans man. This week's Catalan phrase is "paper mullet", which literally translates to "wet paper" and means useless or not worth the paper it's written on.

Durada: 22 min

On July 12th, 1984, the first baby was born through assisted reproduction in Barcelona and Spain, but the road to motherhood is not always as linear and easy as portrayed. Fertility treatment is becoming more common throughout the world, and in Spain, one in every ten children is born thanks to this technology. This is due to three factors: increasing infertility rates, higher age for having a first child, and access to reproductive assistance for single parents and queer couples. But despite this, it often comes with a lot of stigma, secrecy, and shame. On this week's podcast, Cillian Shields and Lea Beliaeva Bander talk to Paula, Montserrat, Marta, and Violeta, four women who have all undergone assisted reproduction in Catalonia, about the ups and downs of fertility treatment, breaking stigmas, creating new family structures and much more. The Catalan phrase of the week is "A poc a poc i amb bona lletra, " meaning that things must be done calmly and patiently to work out.

Durada: 27 min

Forty years ago, on July 12th, 1984, the first baby was born through assisted reproduction in Barcelona and Spain. At the time, the news made headlines everywhere. Now, around 10% of all babies in Spain are born through assisted reproduction, and it has become available for free in the public healthcare system. Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about assisted reproduction, its evolution, and why it brings people from all over the world to Catalonia. We talk to Anna Veiga, the pioneering Catalan doctor and biologist who led the first IVF birth, and Federica Moffa, the medical director of the fertility clinic Fertilab, about reproductive tourism. And for the first time ever on Filling the Sink, this episode is the first of two dedicated to a single topic, so remember to stay tuned for the next episode, where we talk to four women about their experiences with assisted reproduction in Catalonia. This week's Catalan phrase is "donar a llum", which means "to give birth".

Durada: 21 min

This year marks the 74th edition of the world's largest motor racing event, the Formula One World Championship. Since 1991, the Spanish Grand Prix has been held at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmeló. However, this year could be one of the last times the Spanish race is held in Catalonia, as Madrid has signed a new ten-year deal with Formula One. To compensate, organizers brought the race to the heart of Barcelona, inviting fans to a spectacular road show on the central Passeig de Gràcia boulevard. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the history, present, and future of the Spanish Grand Prix.We join the excitement of F1 fans during the road show and hear from protesting environmentalists, and David Vàzquez, president of the Vallès Oriental Hotels Guild, who is worried about the economic consequences of losing the Grand Prix to Madrid. The Catalan phrase of the week is the Formula One appropriate "Fer una parada a boxes", which means to "make a pit stop."

Durada: 21 min

Barcelona's haute cuisine gem 'Disfrutar' has been named the World's Best Restaurant in the 22nd edition of "The World's 50 Best Restaurants." With this accolade, head chefs Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch have added another star to the Catalan culinary sky, joining the ranks of El Bulli, el Celler de Can Roca, and others. The name "Disfrutar" means "enjoy" in Spanish and reflects the restaurant's philosophy of offering visitors an extraordinary dining experience that taps into their senses, emotions, and memories. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the restaurant's gastronomic success and its origins. We visit Disfrutar in the heart of Barcelona's Eixample district and catch up with Eduard Xatruch, who shares some of the secrets behind the exclusive eatery. This week, Xatruch brings us the Catalan phrase: "No diguis blat fins que estigui al sac i ben lligat," akin to the English "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched."

Durada: 22 min

On May 30th, under sun, thunder, and lightning, Primavera Sound, the biggest festival in Spain descended on Barcelona's Parc del Fòrum for the 22nd time, kicking off this year's summer festival season in Catalonia. With a solid mix of Catalan summer hits, rock bangers, catchy pop tunes, and international names such as Lana Del Rey, Pulp, Deftones, and Troye Sivan, the 268,000 attendees were in for the party of the year. We talk to the up-and-coming Catalan artist Mama Dousha, whose infectious dance tune 'Rikiti' has everyone on the dancefloor, about what it is like being a new artist in Catalonia and his decision to sing in Catalan instead of English. Oriol Escudè Maciá joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to teleport listeners back to a weekend of music and fun, and to give a rundown of all the biggest concerts and festivals in Catalonia this summer. The Catalan phrase of the week is "Qui canta, els seus mals espanta", similar to "to sing away your pain."

Durada: 20 min

Since 1980, at the end of May, the western Catalan city of Lleida becomes the snail center of Catalonia, where hundreds of people come together to celebrate the annual Catalan Snail Gathering, l'Aplec del Caragol. Fans of the tiny mollusks unite for a weekend of gastronomy, competitions and much more. For this last edition, a whopping 15 tons of snails were devoured by hungry participants. Oriol Escudé Macià and Ona Van Dyck join the festivities at the world's largest snail-eating fest and return to Barcelona to chat about the experience with host Lea Beliaeva Bander. We talk to different 'colles' and attendees at the Aplec and get deep into all things snails, from how to cook and eat them to their health benefits and snail farming, and we answer the pressing question: Are Catalans the world's biggest snail eaters? The Catalan phrase of the week is, fittingly, 'enganyar com als cargols', which literally translates to 'to deceive like snails' and means to betray someone's trust.

Durada: 22 min

Finding affordable housing has long been a problem in Catalonia and Spain, and in March, the Spanish government introduced a reference index for rent prices to keep them from rising. But the new rent cap created loopholes and had the opposite effect of increasing prices on short-term leases, while long-term housing became even harder to find. In response, the Catalan government rushed through regulations but failed to garner the support to make it a permanent law. Cillian Shields and Ona Van Dyck join Lea Beliaeva Bander to explain the different housing laws and highlight the huge gap between the law and reality. We hear from Barcelona real estate agent Tine Mathiessen, and Carme Arcarazo of the Catalan Tenants' Union, as well as the experiences of Catalan renters. The Catalan phrase of the week is '- Què hem de fer? Vendre la casa i anar de lloguer', which means "What should we do? Sell the house and go rent" is a rhyming answer to a question you don't know the answer to.

Durada: 17 min

The Catalan snap election is over, and the voters gave the Catalan Socialist Party, PSC, a whopping 28% of the vote, which translates into 42 seats. But falling short of an absolute majority of 68 seats, the Socialists must now find new alliances to form a government. This episode of Filling the Sink was recorded bright and early on the first morning of the new political cycle. Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to break down the election results and answer the question: who will govern Catalonia for the next four years? The election results also show that the pro-independence parties seem to have lost momentum, while the unionist parties are celebrating gains. The biggest surprise was the entry of the far-right pro-independence party Aliança Catalana, which won 2 seats in Catalonia. We will hear the reactions from all the major presidential candidates and talk about what coalitions we can expect. The Catalan phrase of the week is "colze a colze", which means arm in arm.

Durada: 24 min

May 11th marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Catalan artist Salvador Dalí. The surrealist painter was born in the northern Catalan town of Figueres, but spent most of his life in the coastal towns of Cadaques and Port Lligat. In this episode of Filling the Sink, we delve into the life and art of Salvador Dalí. From his contributions to surrealism to his meeting with the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, to his relationship with his wife and muse Gala, we will shed light on the many layers of this controversial Catalan. Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to explore some of the late surrealist's motifs, from melting clocks to eerie mountain landscapes. We talk to art historian Mariona Seguranyes about Gala Dalí and her role in the artist's life. We also take listeners inside the couple's home in Port Lligat and their museum theater in Figueres, where Oriol has a surrealist experience of his own. This week's Catalan phrase is "per art de màgia" which means "magically".

Durada: 24 min

The Catalan election season is in full swing - once again. On March 18th, Catalan President Pere Aragonès announced that he was dissolving the Catalan parliament and calling for a snap election on May 12th. The news came after the government failed to secure a majority to pass the 2024 budget. Calling for early elections in Catalonia is nothing new, as it has been 14 years since a government last served the full four-year term, and in the 21st century, the Catalans have only held two elections when they should have. On this week's podcast, Gerard Escaich Folch and Guifrè Jordan join Lea Beliaeva Bander to make sense of the political situation and explain the reasons why this term came to an early end. We look back at the last three years of political battles, get to know the main party candidates, and talk about the future challenges. This week's Catalan phrase is "déu-n'hi-do", roughly translated as "Oh my God!" in English, a common interjection used to express surprise.