| St Barts is a tiny rock set in the Caribbean Sea,
incredibly prestigious thanks to its population who have preserved
not only the island but the art of living as well.
Natives are extremely discreet men and women. Family life is of
the utmost importance and often grandfather, father and children
live in the same little village.
Here, traditional values are unquestionable and one’s word
is sacred.
St Bart’s people take great care of their environment. Their
homes 
are cozy but strong enough to withstand hurricanes. The residents
from France and other countries live in one city , Gustavia, and
a dozen villages.
Quite a few St Bart’s are fishermen or builders as others
are making a living with the tourist industry. There are, of course,
the handicrafts, the sweet doll-like cottages, the colorful fishing
skiffs, and the woven straw. And, the traditional local music
that can provide a lively atmosphere at island music and film
festivals.
Occasionally you'll see St. Bartians dressed in the provincial
costumes of Normandy and speaking Norman French. In little Corossol,
more than anywhere else, people sometimes follow customs brought
from 17th-century France. You might see elderly women wearing
the traditional starched white bonnets, at least on special occasions.
The bonnets, known as quichenottes (a corruption of "kiss-me-not"),
served as protection from the close attentions of English or Swedish
men on the island. The bonneted women can also be spotted at local
celebrations, particularly on August 25, St. Louis's Day. Many
of these women are camera-shy, but they offer their homemade baskets
and hats for sale to visitors.
There are no high-rise resorts (the largest hotel boasts 76 rooms);
no golf course, few tennis courts, no casinos or Liberace-style
crooners. No sign of hang-ten culture or ecofriendly campgrounds.
Even waterskiing is scarce. Nightlife consists of starlit strolls
on the beach and lingering memorable dinners capped off, perhaps,
with Veuve Cliquot in an intimate piano bar.
St. Barts enjoys a thriving economy with low unemployment and
almost non-existent crime rate. Visitors to St. Barts enjoy the
island's beauty and serenity without concern for their personal
safety.
Many of the local inhabitants are descendants of the early settlers
from Brittany and Normandy and their language still reflects traces
of the Norman French.
Thou located in the English speaking part of the Caribbean. English
however is only one of the languages spoken on the island. The
official language is French. Creole, which steams from French,
is spoken in the windward part side. Regional French known as
“patois” is spoken in the leeward areas and finally,
Guadeloupe Creole can often be heard in Gustavia. Where the Swedish
influence remains to this day as does the distinction of being
a duty free port.
Because of stringent building regulations, St Barts never became
a destination for mass tourism and today is the paradise for millionaires
in the Caribbean.
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