For travelers who experience the Caribbean a week or two at a time, it's sometimes hard to see beyond the modern architecture of the mega-resorts and the glitter of casinos to the rich folkways of the people who live there. Even on the haute island of St. Barts, with its million-dollar villas with the million-dollar views, there's a living link to a time that was simpler and - some think - more graceful.
On special occasions, the women of the village of Corossol still wear the traditional dress their ancestors brought with them from the Brittany region of France when they settled here in the 17th century. The woman's calhche bonnet is also called the quichenotte, or "kiss-me-not," owing to the extremely deep visor designed to keep the sun - and perhaps overly arduous suitors - at bay.
With or without the luxury afforded by the spectacular accommodations, St. Barts' sun-swept beaches and its quiet way of life thrill today's visitors as much as they impressed those first European immigrants.
Posted online 01/01/99.
