Sweden

Appears in
Floyd's Fjord Fiesta
Floyd's Fjord Fiesta

By Keith Floyd

Published 1998

  • About
There are some ninety thousand lakes in Sweden, most of them full of superb freshwater fish — pike, perch, zander and bream. The waters are so clear that the Swedes are proud to tell you that you can fish for salmon in the centre of Stockholm. Many of the lakes are linked by rivers or canals and a perfect way to see the countryside is by boat.

So, on a hot summer’s day, I boarded the Juno, a 120-year-old former postal and cargo ferry, now a lovingly restored luxury passenger boat plying the Gota Canal, and sailed through the Swedish lakes, days, canals and nights for Stockholm, ‘The Venice of the North’. We chugged gracefully along the reed-fringed canals with the quaint, neatly painted lock-keeper’s cottages, in and out of the myriad of little islands, lazing on the aft deck, aperitif in hand, trying to gather the strength for the next excellent meal. The highlight of the trip for me happened to be the simple but delicious Swedish Summer Soup created by the ship’s chef, Emanuel Augustin (see recipe).