Waking up from a long on May 30th, tiring day before was tough; however, an amazing breakfast buffet at the Radisson Hotel in Stockholm made it much easier. The breakfast was a remarkable feature of our stay, offering freshness and healthy food options such as natural honey, yogurt, fruits, and more. The location of the hotel was very convenient for everyone since it was within walking distance of the city center. So, immediately after breakfast, we headed out to the Imaginob office, which was a 15-minute walk from the hotel.
During our visit, we learned that Swedish people are big coffee drinkers, although the coffee consumed in the country is grown and imported from other countries. During break time, the host company provided some coffee and local desserts such as Kladdkaka and Ostkaka, which were fantastic for all of us.
After the business visit, we went to a small restaurant called Beridarebanan, which serves affordable Swedish dishes. In this type of restaurant, there are always two main options. The first is chicken with a salad that includes a variety of vegetables, making the dish lighter. The second option is also chicken, but served with seasoned rice and beans, along with a salad, making it a more complete meal recommended for those who are particularly hungry.
In the evening, we sampled various shots of Swedish vodka and whisky, which were delightful. Afterwards, we headed to a nice bar located in the city square at around 9 PM, with the sky still bright. People in Stockholm often dress stylishly for every occasion, especially for socializing at bars or nightclubs, which is quite different from what we are accustomed to in Southern California, where clubs and bars are more casual. We noticed that tequila is not very common in this part of Europe; however, Campari, whisky, and vodka are more common in cocktails and even served on the rocks. The music at the bar was diverse, but once the sun set, the volume increased, and more people began to line up to get in.
On May 31, we spent our morning at the Einride office to learn more about its business model. In the evening, we shared a group dinner with live karaoke at a nice bar located a bit farther from the Radisson Hotel. Regarding the business visit, we gained many meaningful insights on how to create value in innovative software using AI and how to approach different purposes, such as reducing the carbon footprint, as Einride is working on this with their global brand customers.
The group dinner was amazing, as we were delighted with local food. It’s remarkable how every local dish provides a large portion of vegetables in various forms, which helps diners digest the different kinds of meat served. Additionally, craft beer is very popular in bars and even restaurants, influenced by historical German culture. Finally, karaoke was a great way to relax. We noticed that karaoke is not very popular in Sweden, or at least in Stockholm, as some people who were just walking by the street were curious about what we were doing. Some American tourists even tried to join in when they realized it was a karaoke session.
