Rizal in Abroad

• Rizal's secret mission was to observe keenly the life and culture, languages and customs, industries and commerce, and government and law of the European nations in order to prepare himself in the mighty task of liberating his oppressed people from Spanish tyranny
• May 1, 1882 Rizal began writing farewell letters to his friends and family
• Paciano gave him money for his allowance
• Saturnina gave him a diamond ring
• May 3, 1882 Rizal departed on board the Spanish streamer Salvador bound for Singapore.
• May 9, 1882, Salvador docked in Singapore and stayed in Hotel Dela Paz for two days
• Rizal departure for Spain was kept secret to avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars
• Jose Mercado, used this name; a cousin from Binan
• In singapore, rizal transferred to another ship Djemnah, which left Singapore (part of the British Straits Settlements) for Europe on May 11, 1882
• May 17, 1882 Rizal arrived at Punta De Gales to go to Colombo, Ceylon, and Rizal wrote on his travel diary: "The General appearance of Punta de Gales is picturesque but lonely and quiet at the same time sad.
• May 27, 1882 he landed at Aden (now in Yemen) at about 8:30 am
• Aden British colonial city hotter than Manila. Rizal as amused to see camel for the first time
• June 2, 1882 he arrived at the Suez Canal en route to Marseilled. Rizal was impressed in the beautiful moonlight which reminded him of Calamba and his family
• June 11, 1882 he disembarked and accompanied by a guide, went around the City of Naples for one hour. This was the first European ground he set foot on.
• Rizal was pleased on this Italian City because of its business activity, its lively people and its panoramic beauty.
• June 12, 1882, at 10:00 in the evening, the boat anchored at Marseilles. He slept in board
• Rizal visited the famous 'Chateau d'lf, where Edmond Dantes, hero of the Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned. Rizal stated two and a half days in Marseilles.
• June 16, 1882 at 12:00 noon, Rizal arrived at Barcelona and boarded on the Fonda De España. Rizal's first impression of Barcelona, the greatest city of Cataluña and Spains second largest city was unfavorable.
• Amor Patrio (Love of Country), nationalistic essay, Rizal's first article written on Spain's soil. Under his pen-name Laong Laan, appeared in print in Diariong Tagalog on August 20, 1882.
• Diariong Tagalog is the first Manila bilingual newspaper (spanish and tagalog)
• Los Viajes (Travelers) Rizal's second article for Diariong Tagalog
• September 2, 1882 Rizal moved heading to Madrid in order to continue his medical studies.
• November 3, 1882, Rizal enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid in 2 courses - Medicine and Philosophy and Letters.
• Rizal studied painting and sculpture at Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
• he practiced fencing and shooting at the Hall of Arms in Sanz y Carbonell
• Rizal joined the Circulo - Hispano Filipino. it is an association formed by Filipino students in Spain compsed of both Filipinos and Spaniards
• Rizal wrote Me Piden Versos which he personally declaimed during the New Year's Eve reception of the Madrid Filipinos held in the evening of December 31, 1882
• March 1883, he joined the Masonic Lodge Acacia. His reason for was to secure Freemasonry's aid in his fight for the Philippines.
• November 1883, He transferred to Lodge Solidaridad, where he became Master Mason
• June 1884, Rizal finished his medical education
• June 1885, Rizal was awarded the degree of Licentiate in Philosophy and Letter by the Universal Central de Madrid with the rating of Excellent (Sobresaliente)
• Rizal went to Paris and Germany in order to specialize in Ophthalmology, Rizal chose this branch of medicine because he wanted tp cure his mother's eye ailment.
• Dr. Louis de Wecker, he was leading the French ophthalmologist during this period. He is the leading authority among the oculists of France, who found Rizal such a competent student and made him as his clinical assistant.
• February 1, 1886, he left Paris to Germany and arrived on February 3, 1886 in Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany, famous for its old university and romantic surroundings.
• Dr. Otto Becker, Distinguished German ophthalmologist where Rizal worked - University Eye Hospital.
• April 22, 1886, Rizal wrote a fine poem "A Las Flores de Heidelberg" (to the Flowers of Heidelberg)
• Rizal was fascinated by the blooming flowers along the cool blanks of the Neckar River. Among them was his favorite flower - the light blue "forget-me-not"
• Rizal met Dr. Feodor Jagor
• Maximo Viola, Rizal's friend, arrived in Berlin at the height of Rizal despondency and loaned him the needed funds to publish the novel; Savior of Noli
• Noli Me Tangere published in Berlin (1887)