Durada: 27 min

Sant Jordi or Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia, and April 23 is the day when Catalans celebrate love, roses, romance, and books. This week's episode is recorded from the bookshop Backstory in the heart of Barcelona. We explain what makes this day special and why people give each other roses and books. We learn about the legend of Sant Jordi and how this day became World Book Day promoted by UNESCO in 1995. We meet international authors Monika Zgustová, Hernan Díaz, and Sohn Won-pyung, talk to people on the streets of the Catalan capital, and hear from Vicki, co-owner of the English bookstore Hibernian as well as Kate and Abby, who opened Backstory in February of 2024. Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by the entire Catalan News team, Gerard Escaich Folc, Oriol Escudé Macià, Lorcan Doherty, Cillian Shields, and Ona Van Dyck Colomer. The Catalan phrase of the week is the Sant Jordi appropriate "Hi havia una vegada", which means "Once upon a time".

Durada: 20 min

Lately, some of the beaches in Catalonia look like they have been swallowed by the sea. The reason is the recent storm Nelson, which hit the Catalan coast during Easter. Nelson caused an unprecedented loss of sand on some of Catalonia's beaches. However, this phenomenon is not new. Recent data show that two-thirds of the Catalan coastline has receded in the last seven decades. At the same time, other beaches have grown as a result of the construction of more ports or the expansion of beaches. Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by Cillian Shields. We talk to experts Gonzalo Simarro of the Marine Sciences Institute and Jordi Pinyol of the Geological and Cartographic Institute of Catalonia. We share beach recommendations, from the rocky Costa Brava to the fun Barcelona beaches, the family-friendly Costa Daurada, as well as the windy Terres de l'Ebre. The Catalan phrase of the week is "Hi ha mar de fons," which is an expression used to express that there is tension or bad vibes.

Durada: 20 min

Barcelona's take on fashion week is the bi-annual event 080 Barcelona Fashion, which this season runs from April 9 to April 12. The event has been held at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site since 2013, and during the 33rd edition celebrated this week, a mix of 24 emerging designers and established brands presented their idea of what should be in vogue in 2024. Over the years, 080 Barcelona Fashion has gone from being a locally focused event to catching the eye of the international fashion world, thanks to its unique mix of Catalan textile tradition, sustainability, and diversity. In this episode, designers Eva Dimas of Simorra and Alejandra Valero of Hoss Intropia unveil their latest collections, and we also hear from 080 Barcelona Fashion's project manager Marta Coca, who explains how the event has evolved. Lorcan Doherty joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about all things fashion. This week's Catalan phrase is 'passat de moda', which means 'out of fashion'.

Durada: 21 min

The number of indoor climbing gyms in Catalonia has multiplied by four in just ten years, making climbing a lifestyle phenomenon and another way of connecting with people. At the same time, the mountainous landscapes of Catalonia have become some of the most visited destinations for outdoor climbing. In this episode, Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the Catalan bouldering boom, and we also discuss whether it's a sport that is accessible to all. We visit Sharma Climbing, the largest climbing gym in Spain, owned by American climber Chris Sharma, where climbers explain why they took up the sport. We also talk to Quim Hernández, the climbing manager of the Catalan Mountain Sports Federation about the growing popularity of climbing and how it is being received. The Catalan phrase of the week is "Fer una muntanya d'una gra de sorra" which means to blow something out of proportion, similar to the English expression "to make a mountain out of a molehill."

Durada: 22 min

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the opening of the notorious La Model prison, located in the Eixample district of Barcelona. The facility closed in 2017 and has since become a site for Catalan historic memory, open to the public. Behind its high beige walls lies the history of a prison that sought to be exemplary, but during the Franco dictatorship held thousands of political prisoners, many of whom were tortured or executed. Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the agonizing history of La Model and its impending transformation into a place of life. We speak with Isabel Centeno, historian and tour guide at La Model, and we hear from Gemma and Carme Puig Antich, the sisters of Salvador Puig Antich, the last political prisoner to be executed at La Model, and their lawyers, Maria Servini and Magda Oranich. The Catalan phrase of the week is "pagar justos per pecadors", in English to pay for the sins of others. Gràcies! Bona Setmana Santa!

Durada: 22 min

In January, the Catalan government joined other European countries in the fight to regulate the use of mobile phones by children in public primary and secondary schools. The idea came from the parent initiative Adolescència Lliure de Mòbil, A Phone-free Adolescence, which started in the Barcelona neighborhood of Poblenou in November 2023, and soon spread to other parts of the Catalan capital, then the rest of Catalonia and Spain. Oriol Escudé Macià joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the new regulations and some of the risks of children using smartphones. Lluna Porta, spokesperson for Adolescència Lliure de Mòbil explains how the group got started, and Jose Ramon Ubieto, a clinical psychologist and author offers advice on how to reduce phone time. This week's Catalan phrase is 'bufar i fer ampolles'. Literally, 'to blow and make bottles', it's used to express something easy to do, similar to the English phrase "piece of cake".

Durada: 24 min

"Society of the snow" and "Robot dreams" miss out on coveted Academy Awards, but plenty of fun is had along the way. In Los Angeles, Natàlia Segura catches up with J. A. Bayona, director of "Society of the snow", Montse Ribé and David Martí, nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for their work on the same film, and Pablo Berger, director of "Robot dreams", nominated for Best Animated Feature. On the big night itself, Natàlia heads to an Oscars party at the Teleferic Barcelona in LA, meets a survivor from the 1972 plane crash that inspired "Society of the snow", and fills in a weary-eyed Cillian Shields back in Barcelona. Lorcan Doherty joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about Catalonia's Oscars history and the two nominated films. And "Robot dreams" lead character designer, Daniel Fernández Casas, explains the secret of the movie's success. This week's Catalan phrase is "somiar truites". Literally, "to dream omelettes", it means to dream big, perhaps unrealistically so!

Durada: 22 min

To mark International Women's Day 2024, Filling the Sink pays homage to ten women who changed Catalonia. Writer Caterina Albert (aka Victor Català), educator Francesca Bonnemaison, anarcho-syndicalist Teresa Claramunt, trans activist Silvia Reyes, flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé, singer and songwriter Rosalía, chef Carme Ruscalleda, middle-distance runner Carmen Valero, and footballer Alèxia Putellas. This week's Catalan phrase is "Visca la lluita feminista" - "Long live the feminist struggle". Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Lea Beliaeva Bander.

Durada: 25 min

The world's biggest mobile tech fair is taking place in Barcelona, but MWC goes way beyond phones, showcasing all kinds of emerging technology from tech giants such as Samsung, Google, Huawei and Microsoft. Artificial intelligence is the buzzword on everyone's lips. Lorcan Doherty finds out more from Mobileum's Avnish Chauhan, Dell's Warren Jackson, and IMA's Eyal Reshef. Lea Beliaeva Bander talks to two Catalan companies at startup space 4YFN (Four Years from Now): Envjoy Nature and WindowSight. Oriol Escudé Macià checks out Alef Aeronautics' flying car prototype and other aviation innovations: SK Telecom's urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft, an AI-assisted drone used by the Mossos d'Esquadra, and Aalto's High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS). Cillian Shields heads to a session called 'Quantum Industry: A Bird's-Eye View' to discover more about how this cutting-edge technology is evolving. This week's Catalan phrase is 'A camí llarg, passa curta' - 'On a long path, short steps'.

Durada: 15 min

All across Europe, farmers are protesting, stopping traffic with their tractors to sound the alarm on what many feel is the slow death of the agricultural sector. On February 6, Catalan farmers drove their tractors out of the fields, draped them with slogans such as "La nostra fi, la vostra fam", or "Our end, your hunger" and marched slowly but determinedly toward Barcelona in one of the largest coordinated protests in years. We hear from 12 farmers who took part in the protests about the disappointments, demands, and dreams of a sector that feels neglected as it deals with everything from environmental regulations to rising production costs, excessive red tape, and a lack of drought relief. Lea Beliaeva Bander is joined by Oriol Escudé Macià, who sheds light on the farmers' protests and explains what lies ahead. This week's Catalan phrase is 'picar pedra'. Literally, 'to crush stone', it means to work hard at something without necessarily achieving a gain in the end.

Durada: 24 min

Viquipèdia, the Catalan version of the free, collaborative online encyclopedia, is a real success story, with almost 750,000 articles and over 1,000 active editors. Wikipedians Xavier Dengra and Àlex Hinojo explain what drives them to volunteer their free time and contribute their knowledge to the project. Lea Beliaeva chats to Núria Ribas, president of Amical Wikipedia, and Carme Fenoll, a wikipedian and librarian, about gender bias on the website and how Viquipèdia is trying to increase diversity, both in terms of contributors and content. This week's Catalan phrase is 'ser un setciències'. Literally, 'to be a seven-sciences', it means 'to be a know-it-all'. Presented by Lorcan Doherty.

Durada: 25 min

Record stores and listening bars are popping up everywhere in Barcelona, and vinyl sales in Catalonia surpassed CD sales in 2023 for the first time since the 1980s. But why has this old, impractical way of listening to music gained popularity at a time when everyone can access whatever music they want on their phones? Lorcan Doherty joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to chat about the vinyl revival. Carlos from Surco and Marc from Wah Wah explain how it is affecting two of the city's older record stores. David Ayllón from the cultural association Salvadiscos talks about the social side of sharing music. This week's Catalan phrase is 'com un disc ratllat'. Literally, 'like a scratched record', it's used like the English phrase 'like a broken record'.

Durada: 24 min

Catalonia's number one football team has always been FC Barcelona, until now! Tiny Girona FC are making it big, battling it out at the top of La Liga in just their fourth season ever in Spain's top division. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to chat about the players and manager making the miracles happen. Pepe Sierra, a Girona fanatic and president of the federation of Girona supporters' clubs, and Eduard Solà, a journalist at Catalunya Ràdio who has covered Girona for many years, talk about what the club and this season means to them. This week's Catalan phrase is 'deixar-hi la pell' - you could say Girona FC are playing out of their skin.

Durada: 23 min

Filling the Sink turns the spotlight on education after Catalonia finished almost bottom of the class in Spain in the latest PISA international tests, sat by students around the world in reading, maths, and science. The results have raised questions for Catalan schools: what's behind the decline, and what can be done about it? Have changes in education gone too far, or not far enough? Oriol Escudé joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss the issues and hear the views of Mònica Nadal, research director of the Fundació Bofill, Xavier Massó, a secondary school teacher and general secretary of the Professors de Secundària union, and Toni Pedragosa, a secondary school teacher and member of the Clam Educatiu platform. This week's Catalan phrase is 'Fer mans i mànigues'. It means to make a big effort to achieve something.

Durada: 21 min

The Museum of Forbidden Art is the first of its kind in the world, displaying art pieces that were censored or banned at some point in history and in various different countries. Whether the reason was political, social or religious, these works have now found a new home in Barcelona. In this episode, we'll hear from the people behind the museum and look back at the history of censorship under Francisco Franco's dictatorship. The Catalan phrase of the week is: "Caure la cara de vergonya," which translates to "Shame on you." Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lea Beliaeva and Oriol Escudé.

Durada: 18 min

Romani is the main language of the Roma community, and one of the biggest minority languages in Europe - estimated to be spoken by millions of people. But because the Roma people have been persecuted for centuries, their language and culture have suffered tremendously. In this episode, we're going to talk about the origins of the Romani language and where it stands today. We're also going to hear from two Roma activists, who are spreading awareness about their history, culture and language. The phrase of the week is in Romani: "Ma krisaren i pustik Katar o ucharni," which translates to "Don't judge a book by its cover." Presented by Lucía Benavides with Lea Beliaeva.