I got my bags back on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler episode 375. Today the amateur traveler talks about bikes and canals and Van Gogh as we go to Amsterdam. I'm going to go to Amsterdam. Welcome to the

I sit in one more cafe.

I know that I should be heading home.

But maybe not, maybe not today.

Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen. This episode of

the amateur traveler is sponsored by audible.com I'm going to recommend since

we're talking about Amsterdam and the Netherlands and we'll be talking

somewhat about Dutch masters the book The Girl with a Pearl Earring which is about

the painter Vermeer to get a free book from audible.com just go to amateur traveler.

dot com slash free book. Before we get into this week's interview I do have three news

stories for you. In the first one bad news if you're flying American Airlines

they're planning on adding more seats to their 737s and MD 80s and that means less leg room.

Speaking of somebody who needs leg room, the actor who played Cheubaca was stopped by TSA because he tried to sneak

through with a lightsaber cane. It was a cane shaped like a lightsaber. It's not a real

lightsaber. I'm not sure why that's a problem. And then an interesting study came out as

Tripadvisor reached its 100 millionth review and that is that Americans, 53% of them won't book a hotel room without checking the Tripadvisor reviews.

And I think actually I'm in that 53%.

For links to all three of those stories, check out the show notes at amateur traveler.com. I'd like to welcome back to the show Eric Smith

who's coming to us from on my feet or in my mind

dot com. Welcome back to the show Eric.

...