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If you want off the beaten path -- then you have to get off it and if you are in Paris that means staying out of the center of the snail (the snail is a visual shortcut to keeping the arrondissements straight) which in practice means, avoid any of the arrondissments with the big tourists sites like St. Germain, the Eiffel Tower the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and more specifically, stay out of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th arrondissements and focus on the others (disclaimer: there are many exceptions to this rule, even on this list). Here is a smattering of things to do, places to eat, etc., that the typical tourist might miss on his or her stint in Paris. Cinema lover? Don't miss the Cinéma des Cineastes at Place de Clichy. Want a nice lunch far from the maddening crowds? Go to the Reflectoire, the place where local bo-bos go for lunch in the 11th. Looking for a nice stroll somewhere where you can't see Notre Dame for miles? Try the Canal d'Ourcq. Fed up with classical works of stella genius? Visit the Musée des Egouts --- aka the sewer museum... this place will tell you the real story of Paris -- the one that none of your friends have ever heard.