You have to love days off in the middle of the week – in France it was WWI veteran remembrance day or something.  For Sarcozy, it meant parading through Paris in various motorcades and giving a speech at the Arc de Triomphe.  For my cousin, it meant we could play F the dealer the night before and go to a boat party on the Seine and then wake up late and pretend to be tourists (who am I kidding, he was the only one pretending).   And for my first day in Paris, how lucky.  So, my cousin, who normally works nine to six as some kind of consultant intern and I slept in and then went out to find the perfect hangover food.

Our desires were met by La Courniche, a family style couscous restaurant near Park Marceau where we were greeted with Korean BBQ style appetizers like potatoes, tuna fish, nuts, pickled carrots, and other assorted cold salads.  Next we filled our churning bellies with couscous and the typical toppings: tomatoes, sausage, chicken, cabbage, a bunch of other vegetables and broth.  Perfect.

Next we went to meet some friends and then walked over to the Arc de Triomphe to be patriotic (French patriotic – although it was also Veterans Day in the US, so I said my own prayers in my own language).

We went up to the top and looked at the city for a while and then ventured down and met some more friends and got coffee on the Champs Elysees.  The Champs is a trip; there are so many ridiculous stores and way too many people per square meter.  It reminds me of the Times Square area and Hollywood by the Chinese.

For dinner I went to a steak and fries place called Le Relais de L’Entrecote.  Apparently it’s a chain, which I found out afterwards, so it’s okay.  It also happens to be all-you-can eat, which I’m trying to stay away from because I have zero self-control when it comes to things like that.  I regulated myself and only had three helpings.  It was pretty good, it’s a typical kind of French place and the waitresses dress like maids, which is funny to see.