Next day, having cycled 11 km, we notice a big sign saying "Kishinev". Already? It turns out that there are still 9 km to the city centre. Unfortunately, the two-way road is narrow, extremely bumpy, and has got holes bigger than sewer manholes. We arrive at a beautiful railway station. Since there is no one here offering accommodation, we keep on cycling. Igor rents an apartment for EUR 20 from Adresa accommodation agency (www.adresa.md), situated at Negruzzi 1. The entrance to the tower block makes me grab the knife, but the apartment itself is great. We take a bath, quickly wash our clothes and then begin to explore the city. The main street, Stefan Cel Mare Boulevard, is 4 km long. Both its sides are planted with trees, providing nice shade. In the middle of the street, there is a characteristic construction - the Triumphal Arch. It was built in 1840, to celebrate the victory in the Russo-Turkish War in 1812. Surrounded by the Cathedral Park, the Orthodox Cathedral and its belfry are located on the same axis as the Triumphal Arch. The City Hall building and Saint Panteleimon Church are also worth visiting. Being a clean and green city, Kishinev does not resemble a typical capital. Numerous parks cover almost a half of its total area! You can feel the atmosphere of the city, wandering along side streets and perching on benches in parks.

For a few days, I have been craving for a decent cake, so we are looking for Patise café, recommended in our guidebook. It is a beautiful, stylish cafe, with a unique atmosphere. Stylish apparel of waitresses complements the ambience of this place. We sit in an open-air garden to enjoy the warm evening. Minutes later we experience heavenly moments: two musicians are playing the guitar and keyboard, making our meal even more enjoyable. Amazing performance! We both had shivers! We stayed in that restaurant for a supper – it was a perfect spot to celebrate my birthday :-)