Five Nights in Prague: The Day We Chose Quiet Observation

Written by Marco Townson | Founder of Bean

It’s funny how quickly you fall into rhythm, isn’t it? A new city, a fresh pace, yet after just a couple of days, you start to feel the pattern take hold. For us, Day Three wasn’t about big plans or ticking off landmarks—it was about letting the day unfold on its own terms. A quiet blend of curiosity, simplicity, and subtle intention. The sort of day that doesn’t shout, but instead hums softly in the background.

A silent walk through Jelení příkop

We kicked off the morning with a walk through Jelení příkop—a shaded, winding stretch of greenery that runs beneath Prague Castle. It was the kind of quiet that feels intentional. Birdsong layered the air like a soft track over silence. Army guards in uniform patrolled discreetly, placed at intervals just far enough apart to blend into the stillness. No fuss. No tension. Just presence.

It felt like walking through a held breath.

There was something oddly grounding about it. You start to realise that the need for constant stimulation fades when you let yourself tune into quiet observation. There’s a beauty in simplicity that doesn’t demand your attention—it just exists, waiting to be noticed.

Curiosity, chaos, and geekdom

We wandered for hours. Over bridges, under trams, through shopping arcades and into streets layered with texture and sound. Benjamin spotted a bookshop—we wandered in and found four full floors of books, all tightly packed, slightly creaky, gloriously granular. To our delight (and absolutely no surprise), the front quarter of the entrance doubled as a Pokémon shop.

Naturally, we couldn’t resist a little detour into geek mode. We popped into Primark (some essentials), Rossmann (more essentials), and then into an electronics store because, well—two geeks abroad. There’s something about foreign tech shops that always draws us in, even when we don’t need anything. It’s the layout. The differences. The discovery.

We grabbed food at Popeyes, which is always a weirdly comforting treat. Crispy, spicy, unnecessary. Perfect.

The city softens you, then sends you home

We walked more after that. Not for the sake of steps, but just to let the evening unfold. Through the embassy zone, past quiet buildings that carried a kind of understated weight. We stumbled down cobbled streets alongside monasteries, weaving through a silent row of passing nuns. It was one of those moments that felt both surreal and completely unremarkable. Just a Tuesday evening. Just Prague being Prague.

But the rain found us. Soft at first, then certain.

So we decided to call it: home for the night.

Dinner? Fried cheese and a pizza delivered to the room from Pizzeria Einstein. We’d left it too late for most places—turns out, 8pm is the closing line for a lot of restaurants here. But honestly, there was no disappointment in that. Some food, some warmth, a bit of TV, and feet up under a heavy duvet. It was exactly what we needed.

Creating space without expectation

What I’m learning on this trip—more than anything—is that rest doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t have to spa-day your way into relaxation. Sometimes it’s just a slower pace. A smaller goal. A moment to stand still and listen to birdsong with no deadline to move on.

When you run a business, your brain gets wired to seek out optimisation in everything. But days like this remind me: not everything needs maximising. Some things just need feeling.

So here I am again, tapping away at this blog while Benjamin snoozes next to me.

And this? This is still part of the work. Because telling the story—our story—keeps the thread of it all alive.

If you’re reading this…
Maybe you needed that reminder too. That quiet is valuable. That rest doesn’t have to be earned through burnout. That joy can come from tiny rituals—a walk, a bite, a moment of pause.

Speak soon,
Marco

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