One strike, two strikes, three and we're out of here!

After Tuesday's full day we decided that on Wednesday all we would attempt would be the Wine Festival of Montmarte. We happened on it 3 years ago and that is where we tasted our first Tartiflette Savoyarde. They have booths set up from all the provinces of France with wines, cheeses, chocolates, soaps, salts and Tartiflette. Not being wine drinkers but loving all the rest of the stuff available we checked the internet when making this trip and made sure that our stay in Paris coincided with the Festival.

Our website said the first day of the festival would be Wednesday, October 7, 2009.  The first day usually has less people in attendance so we marked our calendars for yesterday and headed out.

To get to Montmarte we have 18 metro stops and one transfer. It is a long, hot ride even though the outside weather has cooled considereably. But the taste of Tartiflette kept us going; one stop after another and one accordian player after another. We finally made it there and headed up the stairs to where the tents were set up. Tartiflette here we come!

What! No Tartiflette? How can that be?  Well, it seems that we were one day early because all the tents we just getting set up but no vendors in the tents. No cheese from Meaux, no salt from Normandy, no crepes from Breton, no Tartiflette at all!

We decided to not let our disappointment ruin the day so we found a nice bench at the base of Sacre Coeur and ate a sandwhich and chips while we listened to a harpist seranade us. All was not lost. Tomorrow we will savor even more the taste of Tartiflette in our mouths because we have to wait for it.

Last night we had a great dinner of crepes with eggs, cheese, ham and mushrooms and for dessert our favorite nutella, bananas and we spoiled ourselves with chantilly (whipped cream). C'est tres bon! Of course we were packed in the restaurant because personal space is not an issue here but by the time we finished dinner we were ready for a nice cool walk home. Imagine our surprise as soon as we stepped out of the restaurant we got caught in a downpour! No umbrella, no raincoat, no nothing. We had a long, wet walk/run home to our apartment and the memory of the crepes were long gone. We were drenched.

Today was washing day. We headed out early to do all our wash before we leave Paris tomorrow. Again we had that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when the clothes were all washed and dried and none have turned pink. We ate lightly for our breakfast because we knew that we had grand lunch plans today at Montmarte.

We headed back out for the festival around 12:30pm so that all the crowds would be gone by the time we got there. Another 18 metro stops, another transfer and another hot ride. Another walk up the hill to the tents and Voila! Where is our Tartiflette? It must be around the corner.

Nope, another day too early! The festival doesn't start until TOMORROW and we leave bright and early. No tartiflette, no chocolate, no soaps, no candy, no nothing! Again!  Of all the rotten luck! Of course I am starving as is Jim so we decide to make the best of it by sitting in an outdoor cafe and eating lunch. Again no issue with personal space as we are elbow to elbow with an older French couple. Lucky for us though because they became our interpreters. When my salad arrived dry with no dressing, they got the server and told him the problem. When we didn't get bread with our salad, they got the server to bring us bread. When Jim didn't get a spoon with his mussels and cream broth, they got the server. Though they spoke no english they could see our difficulties and they stepped in to help.

We left disappointed to say the least. We are leaving tomorrow and won't get our Tartiflette. But I have a back up plan. Tonight we are going back to our neighborhood fondue restaurant and I know that they serve Tartiflette. I saw it on the menu and we must have it! Print this post