I AM ashamed to admit that when someone mentions Sweden the first words that come to mind are Volvo, Abba and the chef from The Muppets. This is poor. It is on a par with summing up Scotland with haggis, The Proclaimers and Mr Mackay from Porridge.
They are all fine things in their way but you wouldn't want them to be the only symbols of Scotland that foreigners know about.
To find out more about Sweden, I could read about it, look it up on the Internet or perhaps even go there for a look.
Instead, I chose to go to Boda Bar, a new pub on Leith Walk run by a Swedish couple. As a result of my educational visit to the pub my knowledge of all things Swedish has at least doubled. I can now sing two Swedish drinking songs. I can tell you that Boda is a small town outside of Gothenburg and that moose sausage has a strong, almost smoky flavour.
Boda Bar opened towards the end of last year and although it is not Swedish themed it is still completely different from most of the other traditional boozers on The Walk.
It is not a swish place.
Rather than assemble a crack team of interior designers and professional shopfitters, Bar Boda seems to have been put together with a lick of new paint and old-fashioned goodwill. The tables and chairs are a mish-mash of different styles. A snooty design mag might call it bohemian chic but car-boot fashion is probably closer, if the truth be told.
It is scruffy but comfortable. Candles on the tables cast a warm glow and the only sign that Boda is a Swedish bar comes from the set of moose antlers that are stuck on the wall.
There was a little bit of confusion when the four of us first arrived.
ordered a bottle of beer while the other three looked at what they thought was the drinks menu.
It turned out to be the catalogue for the art exhibition on the wall. It seems like a daft mistake but The Big Red, Black Cuillin and Double Tree could be the names of shooters.
Boda Bar has all the usual beers and spirits you would expect but also has aquavit or Swedish schnapps behind the bar.
Order one of these and as a Boda bonus Anna the owner will come over to your table and lead you through a couple of Swedish drinking songs. Most of these seem to involve shouting 'Skol' and 'Pilsner' so don't worry if your Swedish is a bit rusty.
Alternatively, a popular number is 'When We Get Drunker' sung to the tune of 'When I'm 64'.
This climaxes with the rhyme 'We are the singers, we are the swingers, join us, you won't get bored.' I don't know if this refers to wife-swapping on Leith Walk as a way of relieving tedium but after a fistful of aquavit shooters anything seems possible. All this singing malarkey might sound embarrassing but no-one bats an eye in Boda.
Belting out slightly saucy Swedish drinking songs in Boda seems to be the equivalent of a karaoke night in any of the neighbouring bars.
The place was packed with a good mix of people on the Saturday night we were there.
Boda Bar makes a colourful addition to Leith Walk and it seems to be booming. It could be the schnapps. It could be the friendly welcome from the staff. Or it could be the bar snacks.
Faced with a choice between a pack of salt and vinegar or herring three ways I'm with the Swedes on that one.
Boda Bar229 Leith Walk EdinburghTel: 0131 553 5900 Prices: Pint of Miller £2.50; bottle of Grolsch £2.60; glass of wine from £2.70; vodka and coke £2.80; glass of Aquavit £2. Open: 2pm-1am seven days
