Star Catches Some Sun

The tumultuous saga of Britney Spears, left, took a Costa Rican detour last weekend. The pop music sensation arrived on a private jet with her father, friends and actor Mel Gibson, who hosted the group for five days at his hacienda on the NicoyaPeninsula. To the delight of the loyal paparazzi, local news media and a few dedicated fans that followed her there, Spears spent three afternoons on Playa Barrigona, a white-sand beach in front of Gibson’s property. The star of “Mad Max,” “Braveheart” and “The Patriot,”however, was never spotted.