Off-METM activities

Besides the main programme, we’re putting on some additional activities to help you settle in, make new contacts and get to know Donostia and its cuisine better. There’s something for everyone.

Booking for off-METM activities will open early June.

Booking now open via My METM.

Booking for all off-METM activities is now closed.

Wednesday, 12 October

Location: Hotel Zenit Convento San Martin
Address: Calle San Martin, 45, 20007 Donostia
No booking required 

If you're arriving a day early, join your fellow METM22 attendees for postprandial drinks.

Thursday, 13 October

Meeting place: Plaza Sarriegui
Max: 25 people per tour
Booking required

Discover the delights of Donostia on a two-hour guided tour organized by Go Local for MET. Choose the time slot that suits you best. 

Sponsored by Trados and memoQ

 

Location: Olarain (Lumen)
Instructor: Asun Martínez Arbelaiz
Booking required

Keen to learn some Basque (euskara or euskera) at the start of your stay in Donostia and connect with the city’s linguistic and cultural heritage? Curious about all those x’s, tx’s, z’s and k’s? Come for an overview of this ancient language – its roots, where it’s spoken, how it has fared across the centuries, its unique grammatical and phonological features – and get to grips with key expressions that will allow you to interact with the locals, many of whom are euskaldunak (Basque speakers). As Basque language promoters like to say, pixka bat es mucho (a little is a lot)!

Meeting place: Olarain (Unus)
Group leader: Philip Cooper
Max: 10 people
Booking required

An informal voyage of discovery to explore the Basque language and the Antiguo neighbourhood on foot, led by MET member Philip Cooper. This activity will combine basic Basque phrases with local knowledge, finishing off with a coffee and a pintxo in a neighbourhood bar.

Over half of this session will involve walking.

Location: Duit, Calle Antonio Arzak, 4, 20018 Donostia
No booking required

Share a bite to eat with fellow bibliophiles while chatting in small groups about the books you love.

Workshop attendees, note that the restaurant is near Olarain and the NH hotel, so you can easily nip off for the 14:30 start. If you’re booked on the 15:30 city tour, you’ll need to plan your journey. Otherwise, stay and enjoy the conversation after lunch.

All welcome, Book Club regulars and newcomers alike.

Location: Olarain (Sapientia)
Group leader: Courtney Greenlaw
Booking required

A one-hour yoga class suitable for all levels. Whether you are an expert, back-bending yogi or can’t even touch your toes, anyone interested in improving their physical and/or mental well-being or simply seeking relief and respite from the hustle and bustle of the conference is welcome.

Yoga instructor and MET member Courtney Greenlaw will briefly explain how yoga can benefit language professionals, then guide attendees through exercises that can be done sitting on an office chair. The physical part of the class is aimed more at translators and editors – people who sit in front of a computer for many hours – targeting key areas where tension builds up (shoulders, wrists, etc.) or body parts that get numbed after several hours in a chair (lower back, buttocks, thighs, etc.). After the session of asanas (yoga postures), Courtney will close with pranayama (breathing exercises), which are indicated for people who need to speak in public or otherwise calm their nerves.

Location: Olarain (Auditorium)
Slammers: Simon Berrill and Karin Rockstad
Moderator: Kelly Dickeson
No booking required
One source text. Two translators. Endless possibilities. Where will our translators find common ground? How will their approaches differ? Join us to find out.

Share a table with like-minded colleagues at one of our themed meal groups. We book the restaurant, you split the bill.

Looking for an adventurous alternative? Try out a pintxo promenade!

All tables are for six people unless otherwise specified. Booking required.

Basque cuisine – Fancy tucking into some tasty local fare? Join colleagues for a classic cider-house menu featuring local produce all washed down with a choice of excellent Basque ciders. Omnivores only. Accessible by stairs (no lift).
Group leader: Dana Szabados
Table size: max. 18 people
Restaurant: Txirrita Sagardotegia
Address: Calle San Bartolomé, 32, 20007 San Sebastián

Craft beer corner – Share a few glasses and some delicious pub grub at Mala Gissona, a bar that takes its name from an Icelandic term for Basque whalers – bad men but also loyal and determined friends. Unsuitable for gluten-free diners; limited vegetarian options.
Group leader: Karin Rockstad
Table size: max. 12 people
Restaurant: Mala Gissona
Address: Calle Zabaleta, 53, 20002 San Sebastián

Vegan table – Are you a devoted vegan or merely curious to learn more about plant-based eating? Let’s get together to share our experiences, particularly when we travel.
Group leader: Vicky Porter-Burns
Table size: max. 12 people
Fixed price: €25 including one drink. All other drinks to be paid for separately.
Restaurant: Kafe Botanika
Address: Paseo Arbol de Gernika, 8, 20006 San Sebastián

Crafty wordsmiths: expressing creativity through more than words – Do you create things with your hands? Knitting, crocheting, sewing, scrapbooking, painting, sculpting, pottery, weaving, embroidery, woodwork, jewellery making – you name it. Share your creations with fellow crafty colleagues.
Group leader: Sara Blackshire
Restaurant: Tedone
Address: Calle Corta, 10, 20001 San Sebastián

Masterpieces at METM: an arty dinner with optional just-for-fun homework – Fine dining and fine art. Choose an artwork you love to share with your colleagues. Why not whip up your own version at home and bring us a photo for extra kudos/laughs? Highbrow art or lowbrow giggles, as you wish.
Group leader: Kate Major Patience
Restaurant: Kaskazuri
Address: Paseo Salamanca, 14, 20003 San Sebastián

Compulsive editors unite – For anyone who cannot stop revising other people's work! Topics will include how to know when to stop, what not to change, how to intervene "as little as possible and as much as is necessary" without going nuts, and how to edit to reveal the original writer's true voice.
Group leader: Allison Wright
Restaurant: Kaskazuri
Address: Paseo Salamanca, 14, 20003 San Sebastián

Finding security in your work situation – How secure and happy do you feel at the moment? What can you do to improve the security of your work and finances? Does feeling secure even matter or do you take a devil-may-care approach? Let's share ideas and philosophies.
Group leader: Jackie Senior
Restaurant: Caravanserai
Address: Calle San Bartolomé 1, 20007 San Sebastián

Research publication ethics – How can language professionals respond constructively to requests from researchers for advice on publication ethics-related issues? Should we educate researchers and help them refute unjustified accusations of unacceptable writing? All experiences and views welcome!
Group leader: Karen Shashok
Restaurant: Gandarias
Address: Calle 31 de Agosto 23, 20003 San Sebastián

Travelling and (no) language barriers – Do you have to know the local language to get by when travelling? And if so, how well? My own travelling experience has made me ponder these and similar questions, with some surprising (or not so surprising) conclusions.
Group leader: Katarzyna (Kasia) Szymanska
Restaurant: Tedone
Address: Calle Corta, 10, 20001 San Sebastián

Friday, 14 October

See Thursday for full details.
Booking required

Sponsored by Cosnautas

 

Friday rehearsal location: Olarain (Auditorium)
No booking required

Last year, the METM21 choir gave an uplifting performance online; this year, we’re delighted to be back live, performing at the closing dinner!

Since we’re going to be in the Basque Country, we’ll try our hand (and voices) at Txoria Txori, a beautiful and much-loved song in four easy parts. And because we’ll be by the sea, we’ll also sing a fun selection of popular sea shanties.

Ruth Simpson is picking up her baton again and has arranged the songs for us. Come prepared: read the choir brief, download the music files and get practising!

No previous choral or singing experience is necessary and we’re a very welcoming bunch. But if you have sung in other choirs and are comfortable in front of an audience, there are some opportunities for solos too.

If you’d like to join in, simply turn up for the rehearsals on Friday at lunchtime and Saturday just before the closing dinner. And so we all look the part, please pack a striped top or shirt in your conference suitcase!

If you have any questions, please write to Ruth.

Share a table with like-minded colleagues at one of our themed meal groups. We book the restaurant, you split the bill.

Looking for an adventurous alternative? Try out a pintxo promenade!

Note that our lunch groups are at the same time as the Friday choir rehearsal.
All tables are for six people. Booking required.


Do you meditate? This is your chance to chat with other colleagues about meditation and share tips and methods. Absolute beginners who want to know how to get started are welcome too.
Group leader: Alice Lehtinen
Restaurant: Drinka
Address: Calle Matia, 50, 20008 San Sebastián

Make the most of your network – Freelancing and networking go hand in hand. But are you making the most of your connections? Let’s talk about how you can take full advantage of your network and boost not just your work but your life!
Group leader: Jenny Zonneveld
Restaurant: Ocho
Address: Calle Manuel Lekuona, 9, 20018 San Sebastián

Minority languages – What is a minority language? Is it based on the number of speakers, the national or international status of the language, or a combination of factors? What challenges do translators and editors who work with minority languages face?
Group leader: Timothy Barton
Restaurant: Rebotika
Address: Calle Zarautz, 6, 20018 San Sebastian

Age of wondering: should I partly, fully or never retire? Having reached the age of retirement, will/can/should you? We’ll talk about the how, where and when, and whether you can change your mind. This is a relaxed table for just sayin', just chattin’ people led by a host who semi-retired in Spain in 2017.
Group leader: Mary Ellen Kerans
Restaurant: Drinka
Address: Calle Matia, 50, 20008 San Sebastián

Make yourself at home! Leaving, settling in, making friends, learning a new language, starting afresh – is it ever easy? Whether you’ve just moved or are plotting your next adventure, come share tips and tricks for adapting to new surroundings.
Group leader: Jeanette Hodgman
Restaurant: Suk Lab
Address: Calle de Antonio Gaztañeta 4, 20018 San Sebastián

Gender and negotiations – Do women and men approach client negotiations on price, project scope and deadlines differently? Share how you navigate this potentially uncomfortable step and help us all get better results.
Group leader: Courtney Keeling Greenlaw
Restaurant: Sukalde
Address: Paseo de Heriz, 3 Bajo, 20008 San Sebastián

Languages – gotta catch ’em all? Do you – or would you like to – speak a multitude of languages? How many is too many? Come and discuss language learning and multilingualism with fellow enthusiasts. All welcome, whether you speak two or 22 languages!
Group leader: Siru Laine
Restaurant: Rebotika
Address: Calle Zarautz, 6, 20018 San Sebastian

Location: Palacio Miramar
Address: Paseo Miraconcha, 48, 20007 Donostia
Event open to all conference attendees and pre-paid guests.

Join us to toast the end of the first full day of METM22 and enjoy the views over La Concha Bay from the palace gardens.
 

Saturday, 15 October

Location: Ondarreta beach – meet by the public toilets
Time: Arrive a couple of minutes early to start stretching on the dot of 07:30
Difficulty: Balance and stretch only as far as you feel able
Weather permitting
No booking required. Guests welcome.

Join MET Chair Emma Goldsmith before dawn for a 15-minute stretch on the sand. She’ll guide you through her personal pre-work routine and you’ll be back in time for breakfast, primed for a full conference day. Come comfortably dressed.

Location: Olarain (Auditorium)
No booking required

See above for full details, including the score and audio files.

Location: Hotel Londres
Address: Zubieta Kalea, 2, 20007 Donostia
Event open to all conference attendees (except those who have opted out) and pre-paid guests.

Wrap up your METM in style at the closing dinner. There will be options for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores. Don’t forget your dancing shoes. Thanks to LSP.expert for sponsoring our DJ.

Sunday, 16 October

Meeting point: Funicular Monte Igueldo
End point: Ondarreta Beach (very near the meeting point)
Estimated duration: 2.5 hours
Total distance: 4.5 km, gentle ups and downs on easy, smooth surface 
No booking required. Guests welcome.

Join Carol Ungar, MET member and walking guide, to clear out the cobwebs on Sunday morning. We’ll catch the Belle Epoque funicular railway to the top of Monte Igueldo, and after enjoying the panorama of the city spread out below, we’ll follow the country lanes of the Camino de Santiago coastal route, taking in the spectacular views over the Bay of Biscay.

Bring: About €5 for your funicular fare and the bus back down again. Comfy walking shoes (no boots needed). Water, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, or a rain/wind jacket – depending on the weather!

Read more about our route and the story behind it.