Aikido × Travel: Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – 07
On October 24th, I woke up a little before 7 a.m., still feeling the lingering heaviness of my cold. I started the morning by boosting my vitamin C with a mandarin orange.
At 9 a.m., I met up with the same members from yesterday, and we headed to the Old Town by metro.
Prague’s metro system is wonderfully simple, with just three lines—A, B, and C—each clearly color coded. Even the underground passageways have colored stripes for each line, so as long as you follow them, it’s almost impossible to get lost.
Once we reached the surface, we were greeted by rows of colorful buildings that instantly made the whole area feel like a fairytale.
This is the heart of the Old Town. The astronomical clock moves at noon, so the square was still fairly quiet.
Following my friend’s lead, I looked down at the ground and noticed 27 small crosses.
They mark the spot where 27 Protestant leaders were publicly executed in 1621—a memorial to honor and remember them. Every country carries painful chapters in its history.
The Old Town is full of all kinds of shops—one moment you see a torture museum, and the next, a Thai massage studio. The mix of old and new gives the streets a unique charm, and simply walking around never gets boring.
After wandering for a while, it was time for a café break.
Today, my friends took me to a quirky café themed around “squares.”
The deep green interior had a retro feel, almost like stepping into 1970s America. Their specialty was square shaped donuts, and when I tried one, it had a light, airy texture similar to a French cruller.
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“Since you’re in Prague, you really have to visit Charles Bridge,” my friend said.
Charles Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage site, built in 1357 under Emperor Charles IV and completed in 1402. The Gothic stone bridge is lined with around 30 statues of saints, giving it a solemn, historical atmosphere.
The view from the bridge was beautiful, and paintings and souvenirs were being sold everywhere.
Compared to yesterday, the number of tourists had increased dramatically. No matter how lovely a place is, crowds always make it feel a little less magical—something that seems true everywhere in the world.
We spent the morning exploring the Old Town and arrived at the concert venue around 12:30. The souvenir shop inside was filled with pug figurines and artwork, though we never figured out why.
The concert hall was much smaller than I expected—just a cozy room with a single piano.
I had always imagined classical concerts taking place in large halls, but in the Czech Republic, where classical music is part of everyday life, performances are held in all sorts of venues. We had seen many posters around the city.
Since seating was unassigned, arriving early paid off and we managed to get seats with a good view.
At 1 p.m., three musicians—playing flute, piano, and violin—entered the room in simple formal attire.
I don’t listen to classical music often, so I was prepared to hear mostly unfamiliar pieces. But the moment the flutist began, I felt chills. The lively rhythm revealed a melody I actually knew.
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Sometimes all three instruments played together, sometimes two, and sometimes just one.
In that small room, without any unnecessary decoration, they performed with such skill and care that even a beginner like me could feel the depth of their artistry. It was truly moving.
This is the Czech Republic—the country of music.
After the concert, I thanked my friend sincerely for bringing me there.
Still filled with emotion but also very hungry, we headed to a restaurant called “Turquoise.”
There was a dish on the menu that caught my eye, so I asked Mike what it was. “Fish,” he said. But when it arrived, it turned out to be a vegan salad. Apparently, he had mistaken the bread for fish. In the end, we traded—his kebab for some of my bread.
We considered stopping by a café afterward, but decided instead to check out the gym where tomorrow’s seminar would be held.
The gym was large, with two basketball courts and training mats laid out at the back.
It was spacious enough to accommodate more than 120 participants, who were expected to gather the next day. I couldn’t wait.
The walk back to the hotel took about 20 minutes.
After relaxing in my room for a bit, we met again in the evening for dinner.
I was in the mood for chicken to prepare for tomorrow’s training, but the restaurant’s specialty was beef. Since I don’t eat beef, I ordered soup, grilled vegetables, and French fries.
The white soup, flavored with herbs and egg, was warm and nourishing.
Since my lunch had been mostly salad, I had hoped to eat a bit more, but the soup filled me up quickly. The fries were quite a large portion, and even Mike had ordered some, so I ended up leaving a few.
We had hoped to meet our Lithuanian friends earlier during the day, but our sightseeing and concert schedule didn’t match theirs. After returning to the hotel from dinner, we finally met them.
Tomorrow, we’ll take the bus together to the seminar venue.
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