At a point all the visitors in Paris would comprehend that he/she is no longer a traveler in the city. It usually happens quietly. Perhaps it is in the course of an early morning stroll where you observe the way the sun is resting on ancient roofs.

Perhaps, it is when you can place your order without looking at the English menu that contains your coffee. It is Paris that teaches you through unhurried and gentle lessons how to live in it rather than merely go through it.

Even before arriving I felt a sense of calm knowing the trip had started smoothly thanks to simple choices like using Airport parking Luton which removed the usual stress of airport mornings.

One day, as I was more closely locked up, I promised myself a little. I would attempt to be like the Parisians. No hastening to strike all the landmarks. None of the schedules that were considered homework. Rather I allow city to show me the way.

The first lesson was made apparent on my second morning. Paris people are not in hurry at the beginning of a day. The city rises slowly, in a lazy manner. I no longer went to the crowded cafes but I started going to a little boulangerie close to my apartment.

I had the same woman who served me each morning. She swept the flour of her apron, and gave me my hot croissant.

Three days later she was reminded of my command and at that very instant I was being oddly compacted into the beat of the neighborhood.

Go Beyond the Famous Streets

Locals do not hang around the great boulevards. They wander into the by-streets which pass unseen by tourists. On one warm afternoon, having slipped out of the press about Notre Dame I roved over to a little cross-street, where there were half a dozen secondhand bookshops.

The proprietors were sitting outside talking to passers-by. Some old gentlemen were playing chess in the shadow of a tree.

That is the secret. Its most authentic attributes are not the Paris of the sights to which everybody gravitates. They are in the daily mold where human beings are.

Evenings on the Seine Spending Like the Locals.

A bridge or a boat is where tourists would appreciate the river, but the locals use the river as part of their living room. During hot evenings, crowds are assembled on the bank of the river with crude picnics. Bread, cheese, a bottle of wine resting carelessly in a backpack, music playing on a little speaker.

One night I went out with them a sandwich only. Then I stayed on till the sky changed to deep blue.

One of them was humming a known melody, and the river swept it off. It was a simple moment with no big plan and no tourist check list, only a peaceful moment that remained in me long after.

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Explore the Markets and Get to know the Real Paris.

Where the local life beats best, markets are to be found. I made the Marche dAligre my favourite. The market is audible but not visible. Vendors shouting prices, children pulling on their parents, neighbors getting in touch with their week.

I did not make any luxury purchases there. Only a couple of peaches or a slice of cheese that the seller insisted I had to sample first.

These little encounters helped me to feel connected to the city in a manner that museums and restaurants never did.

Take Time to Value the Little, Mundane Things.

The most unbelievable thing about the local lifestyle, perhaps, was to learn how happy Parisians could be in an ordinary situation.

They prefer a peaceful afternoon in a small museum rather than a large one that is full of people. Instead of sitting at a window, they sit at a bar counter and take an espresso.

They take a leisurely walk in Canal Saint Martin and allow the day to go however it desires.

One day I was sitting on a bench along the canal and I saw an older man who was painting watercolors of people who were passing by on bicycles. He was painting because he just liked it.