Hallo from the Netherlands -- or Holland, a region that many people use to refer to the entire country. One of my New Year's resolutions was to travel to at least 10 new countries this year. The Netherlands makes 3. I know I'm lagging, but I'm about to go on a tear. Last week (here's the link to the archives) we finished off in Scotland, where I visited for the second time in eight weeks. I felt badly going back to Europe two months later, and traveling only to the same countries (I was also in France and England, following the Da Vinci Code Tour). But after filming a pilot TV show my brother Frank and I jumped on a low-fare carrier to Amsterdam. We're here to check out this city that has so much more to offer than its famous red light district. This place is full of canals, bridges, boats, bicycles, museums, history, charm, and of course flowers. If you want to come for this weekend getaway, grab your walking shoes and your sense of smell because we are in Amsterdam! Yeah baby! (If you're in a hurry or have ADD, don't worry; there's a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week's story.)

EDINBURGH TO AMSTERDAM
My brother and I flew here on easyJet. I bought my one-way ticket for $117 a couple of weeks before the trip (usually the further ahead you book in advance, the better price you get). My brother bought his ticket just a couple days before departure, and it was still relatively cheap: $150. You gotta love discount carriers! Unfortunately, my ticket quickly added up to what Frank paid because -- as I predicted -- easyJet nailed me on the extra baggage fee (most low fare carriers have strict baggage rules). I had to pay 15 pounds ($28), because my bag was just over the 20 kilo (44 pounds) limit. I don't usually travel with such a heavy bag, but I had to carry extra clothes for the TV show.

THE FLIGHT
easyJet does not assign seating -- it's like Southwest (though Southwest is now assigning seats on some routes), with open seats and an A, B, C, D boarding process. We wanted to check in early so we could get an A or B boarding card. Being among the first to board pretty much guarantees two seats together, and enough space in the overhead for carry-on bags. We got both. The plane was a new Airbus 319; we took off on time; the flight attendants were cool, and the flight was a smooth 1 hour and 10 minutes. Good thing it was a short flight, because EasyJet's fare are so inexpensive they charge for practically everything � even soda and bottled water.

SCHIPHOL AIRPORT
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is the fourth largest in Europe. It serves 240 cities in 85 countries around the world. The place is huge -- almost like a city, with so many restaurants, stores and diverse people in this monster structure. Unlike in America, if international passengers are transferring through to another flight they don't need to go through passport control. That's good thing, because the line at passport control took 30 minutes � it was long and slow. Interestingly, "Schiphol" means "hull of ships." That's because the airport used to be a lake -- it's 4.5 meters below sea level -- and when they dredged it � they found an old ship.

FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY
One of the best things about traveling in Europe is that many airports are linked by direct train service to the city -- a fast and inexpensive way to get there. In Amsterdam, passengers can buy tickets at either a window or a yellow ticket machine for � 3.60 ($4.55). Trains operate between Schiphol and Amsterdam Central Station about every 10 minutes, and the ride takes only 10 minutes too. Here's a link to the schedule.