Voici la traduction en anglais de l'article que j'avais publié le 30 octobre 2008, "Dormir pour pas cher dans un des plus vieux édifices du 4e arrondissement".
"On the corner of rue des Barres and rue du Grenier-sur-l'eau, facing the back of Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais's Church, one can find a building with a wooden façade (which is very rare in Paris).
It was the former town house where the monks from Maubuisson Abbey dwelt when they where in Paris and where they stored their crops to be sold. Maubuisson Abbey is located in Val d'Oise, North of Paris. It was created by Queen Blanche of Castilla, Saint Louis's mother, in 1242. The current building of rue des Barres was built around 1540. From 1664 until the French revolution, it served as a convent for the "young girls of the Cross" who were in charge of the education of girls.
On the façade facing onto the rue du Grenier-sur-l'eau, one can admire a corbelled construction which is hed up by a massive wooden mount. This kind of construction had almost desappeared nowadays (we can also find ones rue des arbalétriers, not far from here, in the 3rd district). They were common during the Middle Ages because they allow a maximum use of space which was lacking inside the city then. Furthermore, they also protected against rain and sun.
In this building, today is located the MIJE (a youth hostel) where one can find ones of the cheapest beds in the centre of Paris (29€ a night in the dormitories)".
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