Filling the Sink catalannews

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 Guifré 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.

Sant Jordi or Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia, and April 23 is the day when Catalans celebrate love, roses, romance, and also 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 back 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”. 

As the weather gets warmer, more and more people will want to go to the beach. But lately, some of the beaches in Catalonia have looked quite different. 
In some places, the beaches look like they have been swallowed by the sea. The reason for this is the recent storm Nelson, which hit the Catalan coast during this past Easter. Nelson caused an unprecedented loss of sand on some of Catalonia’s beaches, in some cases reducing the width of the beach by 25 meters. 
However, this phenomenon is not new and is becoming more and more frequent due to climate change. 
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.
Cillian Shields joins Lea Beliaeva Bander to talk about the state of Catalonia’s beaches and coastline.
We talk to Gonzalo Simarro, a beach scientist at the Marine Sciences Institute, about the impact of storms on Catalan beaches. We also hear from Jordi Pinyol of the Geological and Cartographic Institute of Catalonia, who explains how the Catalan coastline is evolving.
On a lighter note, we also share beach recommendations, from the rocky and picturesque up on Costa Brava, to the fun Barcelona beaches, or 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 literally means “there is a groundswell,” and is an expression used to express that there is tension or bad vibes. 

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'. 

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.”

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.