Filling the Sink

Buckle up! Filling the Sink goes on a roller coaster ride through Catalonia’s theme parks and water parks. We venture into ‘Uncharted’ territory at PortAventura, checking out the park's new dark ride, based on the hit video game and movie of the same name.  Plus, a guide to various parks, past and present, and a look at how some water parks are coping with the ongoing drought.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'fer dentetes.' Literally 'making small teeth,' it means to make someone envious.  Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Kate Naessens and Gerard Esciach Folch   

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 and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to chat about the magic of the shortest night of the year (almost!) – midnight swimming, watching the sunrise, jumping over bonfires, eating coques, drinking cava and setting off firecrackers. This week's Catalan phrase is 'posar més llenya al foc' – to put more wood on the fire.  

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-Barceloneta's Felipe Perrone, four-time Olympian and captain of the Spanish national team, chats to Gerard Escaich Folch about how Barcelona became a mecca for the sport and the recent successes of his club and Spain's men's and women's teams. This week's Catalan phrase is 'anar peix.' Literally 'to go fish,' it means to be unprepared for something. Presented by Lorcan Doherty.

The most comprehensive investigation into primate genomes, recently published, shed new light on features of primate evolution, human disease and biodiversity conservation. Filling the Sink chats to some of the researchers in Catalonia that played their part in this groundbreaking international study: Tomàs Marquès-Bonet from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology at Pompeu Fabra University, and Ivo Gut, director of CNAG, the National Center for Genomic Analysis. This week's Catalan phrase is 'fer el mico.' Literally, 'to do the monkey,' it means to act silly, horse around, monkey around. Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Cristina Tomàs White, Kate Naessens and Guifré Jordan.   

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 lovers attending from around the world. Up-and-coming Catalan artist Ven'nus performs live and explains how writing songs is like music therapy for her. Cillian Shields and Alan Ruiz Terol join Lorcan Doherty for a rundown of the big concerts and festivals to look out for this summer. This week's Catalan phrase is 'sobre gustos no hi ha res escrit,' or, 'there is nothing written about tastes.' 

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 Barcelona by former mayor Xavier Trias, while Ada Colau slips to third. The People's Party double their vote share and far-right Vox make breakthroughs across Catalonia. This week's Catalan phrase is "estar amb l'ai al cor." Literally, "to be with the "oh" in your heart," it means to have your heart in your mouth or to be holding your breath.  

Barcelona is Europe's busiest cruise port, with around 800 cruise ships carrying more than 3 million passengers a year. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss the cruise industry's economic impact, environmental issues and its role in the debate on tourism. Featuring contributions from Alfredo Serrano of Cruise Lines International Association, Marta Ribera of the Observatory Desk NGO, Misael Alerm of Stop Cruises Tarragona and Fernando Pacheco of MSC Cruises. This week's Catalan phrase is "arribar a bon port." Literally, "to reach a good port," it's used when something ends well.  

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 and ultimately their new mayor. Cristina Tomàs White and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to look at some of the most hotly contested council battles, including an unprecedented four-horse race for mayor in Barcelona. This week's Catalan phrase is "estar com gat i gos," which means "to fight like cats and dogs."

Bruce Springsteen has legions of fans all around the world but 'The Boss' has an undoubted special connection with Barcelona and its people. Filling the Sink captures the atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium before, during and after the gig as Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off their European tour. Music journalist Jordi Bianciotto and concert promoter Gay Mercader recall the American rocker's first concert in Barcelona in 1981 and discuss the bond between Bruce and his fans in Catalonia. This week's Catalan phrase is "portar la veu cantant." Literally, "to bring your singing voice," it means to control, to dominate, or, like Bruce, to be the boss. Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Gerard Escaich Folch. 

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 refereeing official. A court investigation into the so-called Negreira affair began in March, but club president Joan Laporta believes Barça is a victim of a smear campaign. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to dissect the ins and outs of the case and all the furore surrounding it. This week's Catalan phrase is "no treure'n l'aigua clara." It means "to not see things clearly," or "to not clear things up."