Tax Information And Guide

Star Bar

Author: Veronica Gould Stoddart
Perched at the water's edge on the seaside terrace of a Creole-style house, I watch as the shimmering Caribbean sun turns into molten lava before slipping into the sea. Basking in the glow of those last warming rays, I smile at the other patrons of Nilce's Bar seated with me on the veranda -- an eclectic mix of escape artists, French expats and tourists-in-the-know.

Suddenly, the sizzling heat is no longer coming from le soleil, but from the smoky, sexy voice of Nilce herself, the Brazilian chanteuse-cum-barkeeper of this French West Indian watering hole. Her soulful samba -- as captivating as her presence -- filters out of the tiny bar and across the pier, where the ferries from Guadeloupe pull in.

We're in the port town of Bourg on the tiny isle of Terre de Haut in the Iles des Saintes, Guadeloupe's offshore archipelago. Picturesque as a postcard, the Lilliputian town is so scenically perfect you'd swear Disney had a hand in its creation. Traditional gingerbread-trimmed houses in Crayola colors line the streets. Tidy gardens bloom with a kaleidoscope of tropical blossoms. Daytrippers from Guadeloupe, clad in chic French resort wear, mix easily with the local fishermen and sailors in their broad-brimmed sun hats or salakos.

The locals are descended from the Breton corsairs who first settled this hilly island. Today's pirates are the Caribbean cognoscenti who have quietly discovered this secret spot and kept it, like all hidden treasure, to themselves.

Not so Nilce and her French husband Gyslain Laps, who welcome everyone at the bar and restaurant they opened a few years ago. It's quickly become the place to watch the harbor traffic, sample tapas and Creole dishes, sip a 'ti punch, and sway to the sounds of Brazilian, French and Creole songs spun out by Nilce and other singers.

At day's end, there's no better place to watch the final act of the sun.

Posted online 11/01/97.

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