La Flottille at Versailles

My professors, my classmates and I went to the Château de Versailles (Versailles Palace). I already went there two years ago with my friend and her fiancé, so I didn't really feel a need to go inside (plus, I didn't want to wait in that line). The day that we went (two years ago), it had rained, so I wasn't able to really see the gardens other than what I saw running through the rain to the other buildings. Thus, my plan today was to wander through the gardens (which I could even do for another day or two - they're that big) and eat at a reasonably priced restaurant. When I came before, I remembered a restaurant like that around the Grand Canal, where we had bought ice cream. So when I arrived at the Grand Canal, I saw a small place which I think it more for picnics or take out. I wasn't crazy about the prices, so I moved on to the La Petite Venise. Wow! It's so expensive! Too expensive. Moving on. The following place, La Flottille, seemed reasonable. It's funny - these days I judge restaurants based on their margherita pizza prices. If it's less than 10.90€ - the price of the pizza at a pizzeria on Montparnasse (a street in Paris ... think Hugo), I think the price isn't too bad. The pizza at this places was even less, so, um, yes. I will definitely be eating here.

Looking at the menu, there were so many things I wanted to get. Filet mignon with Béarnaise and mashed potatoes. Grilled duck breast with "coco caramel" sauce. A tarte Tatin (like an apple tart) with chantilly cream. Yum! But in the end, I figured out that a ham and cheese sandwich with a plate of fries would actually just as filling (maybe even more filling) and cheaper than one of those other dishes, thereby relieving me of all the stress I had about whether or not to get dessert, which, of course, I did because they had ice cream - my Achilles heel in Europe.

There really were a lot of flavours to choose from, but at the time I thought that raspberry and lemon would go really well together. After all, several restaurants across the US offer raspberry lemonade. It came out with an individually wrapped crispy thing (I used the word tuile except, at least in French, it isn't the right word, but I'm not sure what it is - even in English). Eaten together, it was delicious. The sweetness of the raspberries paired well with the sour lemon, while the cookie thing added a nice crunch which the soft ice cream did not offer. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

If I ever return to Versailles, I will do like I did today: walk a little and eat, enjoying life's simple pleasures.