Tourism in Extremadura

Do you want to go on a trip to Extremadura? 

The students of Vocational Trainning of Tourism have explained some destinations.

Laila is talking about Galisteo.

Irene recommends you to visit Coria.

Fátima sells a trip to Guadalupe.

Carmen is promoting Mérida as a tourist destination.

Ainhoa is explaining the most important monuments of Plasencia.

Did you know..?

On this day in 1830, the first intercity railway route in the world is opened between Liverpool and Manchester (England, UK).

Heraldry of Trujillo

This past Monday, the tourism students of IES Turgalium hosted a walking tour in the old

part of Trujillo. This tour focused on the heraldry of the old city, and the students displayed a

wealth of knowledge about various important families of Trujillo’s past. The tour began with the

Chaves family’s coat of arms and concluded with the Virgen of Victory in the main square. It

was great to see the students display what they’ve learned in class, and it became quite clear that

there is a lot to know in order to give a tour of a city like Trujillo. The way in which the students

described each coat of arms and answered various questions shows the hard work they’ve put

into their studies this year. Going on this walking tour was fascinating, especially as the

Language Assistant at Turgalium. I felt like I had taken a step back in time, and it was

particularly interesting since Trujillo is older than the entire United States. Thank you, Turgalim

tourism students, for a wonderful tour of Trujillo!


Austin Marzano
Assistant teacher.

What’s the Remembrance Day and Why it Matters

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain.

A national ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. The Cenotaph stands in the middle of the road in Whitehall (part of London for those who are wondering). It was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and erected in 1919. It is a bare stature save for the carved wreaths on each end and the words “The Glorious Dead” as chosen by the author Rudyard Kipling.  To me seeing the Cenotaph in the middle of the road paying homage to the war dead was certainly a stark reminder of the destruction man can cause. I must have walked past it at least ten times, stopping each time, thinking.

The Cenotaph located in Whitehall, London. Taken September, 2010.

The first such modern ceremony was held on 11 November 1919, following a suggestion by King George V for a two-minute silence across the United Kingdom and a ceremony to take place in London. Thousands had gathered around the wood-and-plaster Cenotaph in Whitehall, where Prime Minister David Lloyd George walked from Downing Street to place a wreath. Every year the Queen lays the first wreath at the Cenotaph.

The poppy symbolizes hope and life. Flanders Fields which is located in the western part of Belgium saw some of the most bloodiest and concentrated fighting during World War I. Complete and utter devastation as buildings, homes, roads, trees and everything in it’s path were decimated. Where homes once stood contained a sea of mud, the graves of the dead although men still lived and fought among their fallen comrades. Ironically, the poppy was the only living thing that survived from that area, therefore a symbol of survival, life, hope and reassurance to the brave men still fighting.

A Canadian doctor serving with the Canadian Air Force was so touched by what he witnessed he penned a poem called Flanders Fields. Dr. John McCrae published his poem and the poppy soon became a popular symbol for those who perished in battle.

Lest We Forget Poppy

In Flanders Fields:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Flanders Fields

Describing Monuments

The House of the Royal Weight of Chavez Cardenas

The house is located in the Main Square near the old town hall, next to the palace of the Conquest and the Royal Prison.

I would like to explain this monument because it was a very important building in the Middle Ages and it has a typical medieval architecture.

This building belonged to the Chávez-Cárdenas family and it was built in the XVI^th century. It is famous because it was the ancient house of weight and the most common cereals were wheat, barley, corn and so on.

The reason for its location is that the weekly market took place in the Main Square.

Nowadays, we can’t find the original constructions because in the XVII^th century it was modified.

The most representative architectural elements are: two twisted solomonic columns capped with two gothic pinnacles. It also has gothic Isabelline windows and a balcony with graceful corbels, that are typical in the Moorish epoch.

It is believed that Felipe II slept in this house instead of sleeping in the house of Chains.

Its interior cannot be visited, we can only admire the façade.

Written by Almudena Ácedo

 2^nd year student of Tourism Vocational Training

Who was Saint Valentine? The History of St Valentine's Day

You learn something every day if you pay attention. ~Ray LeBlond