Filling the Sink

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."

To mark the Sant Jordi weekend, Filling the Sink explores some of Catalonia's beautiful libraries and the hidden gems in the collections within. Guifré Jordan visits Catalonia's very own 'Library of Alexandria', the Biblioteca de Catalunya, and discovers its secrets with library director Eugènia Serra. Gerard Escaich Folch chats to Josep Brunet at the oldest public library in Barcelona, Biblioteca Pública Arús, and learns about the freemason and anarchist who founded it. This week's Catalan phrase is 'ser com un llibre obert' – 'to be like an open book'. Presented by Lorcan Doherty.  

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 Egypt and Madagascar to Kung Fu Panda and the Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. Character designer Carlos Grangel chats to Gerard Escaich Folch about collaborating with top Hollywood directors, never working on sequels, and speaking Spanglish to Steven Spielberg. This week's Catalan phrase is 'tenir la paella pel mànec'. Literally 'to have the pan by the handle', it means to be in control, to run the show. Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Filling the Sink examines the legacy of Pablo Picasso on the 50th anniversary of his death. Cristina Tomàs White and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to chat about the artist's formative years in Catalonia. Maria Choya shows us around Barcelona's Picasso Museum. Artist María Llopis discusses Picasso's toxic relationships with women. This week's Catalan phrase is "quatre gats." Literally "four cats," it means "only a few people." 

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 the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Cristina Tomàs White visits one of the bunkers and meets Manel Bachs, a 90-year- old who still remembers fleeing underground when the air raid sirens warned of Franco’s Nationalist forces approaching along with their Nazi German and fascist Italian allies. Gerard Escaich Folch gets a surprise when he talks to Ana Sánchez, the photographer behind the exhibition '1,322 Barcelona air raid shelters' at La Model prison. This week's Catalan phrase is "fer una passa en fals." It means to make a mistake or a false move. Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Nestled high in the Pyrenees lies a unique European experiment – Cerdanya Hospital, jointly financed and governed by Catalonia and France, and caring for patients on both sides of the border. Managing director Xavier Conill explains how the hospital operates and the particular challenges it faces, from registering births and deaths in the right country to attracting staff and patients from both jurisdictions. This week's Catalan phrase is "advocat, jutge i doctor, com més lluny millor." It means "lawyer, judge and doctor, the further away, the better." Presented by Lorcan Doherty with Gerard Escaich Folch.