Elizabeth Olsen’s favourite places in the world

"Когда весь мир настроен против вас, вспомните, что самолет взлетает не по ветру, а против него." Генри Форд

Have you managed to get away this year?


‘The last place I travelled to was Sonoma, a trip I’ve taken quite often during the pandemic. My fiancé’s [musician Robbie Arnett] family has a place in St Helena, so we spend a lot of time up there. That’s been our breathing space, to be able to leave LA, which sometimes feels a bit suffocating.’

Elizabeth Olsens favourite places in the world

Sonoma

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Where in the world have you felt happiest?


‘London. Primrose Hill, Hampstead, the Heath, Belsize Park… that’s where I lived when I worked for six months on my first Avengers film, and it was during the driest summer in history, or something, so it was spectacular. I did a really strange deep-dive into how an American could legally live in the UK and I saw that there’s a retirement visa once you reach 54. I feel as if British people work to live – they don’t live to work, unlike in LA and New York. I am moving back soon to film the sequel to Dr Strange, so I’ll be there for Christmas, just outside London. Even given the current circumstances, it will be a nice trip.’

Elizabeth Olsens favourite places in the world

Boboli Gardens in Florence

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Which is your favourite city?


‘I was only in Florence for 24 hours and tried to cover it all on foot. I was so blistered by the end, but I loved exploring it. I saw David and then I was like, now I’ve got to go and get lost. So I walked over the Ponte Vecchio and went to the Boboli Gardens. It’s a magical place.’

Any memories from childhood holidays?


‘My sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley would be performing on cruises, but I wasn’t, so I got to enjoy them in a different way. We went to Russia in 1999, when I was 10, which was an interesting time in terms of transitions of power. Then, 10 years later, I went to college in Moscow for three months, and it was really spectacular to see it from that perspective. I got to witness how art really runs the culture. The government had been so repressive for such a long time that the people relied on their poets and authors and playwrights to represent them. After that, studying how American theatre is so influenced by Stanislavski and so on really cemented this strange affinity with Russia – Moscow specifically – which all started when I was just a child.’

Any staycation highlights in LA?


‘Temescal Canyon, which is a trail near Bel Air and the Pacific Coast Highway – once you reach the top, you have an almost 360-degree view. Do it in the wintertime and it’s so crisp you can see all the way to Downtown and the ocean. Temescal is gorgeous; there are fewer hikers and a smaller path than Runyon, which a lot of people tend to do.’

Elizabeth Olsens favourite places in the world

Palio in Siena

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Name somewhere that lived up to the hype


‘The Palio in Siena. It was bonkers – I watched the documentary on Netflix about it before going, and it was even crazier than that. The whole thing was so primal and felt so ancient. I was in the stands, and it was one of the most bizarre, most Italian experiences I have ever had.’

Tell us about a great little place you know


‘I like natural wine and we found our favourite spot up in Sonoma – Ryme Cellars, run by a young couple called Ryan and Megan Glaab. Their tasting is this kind of backyard set-up, but with beautiful wines and great people. A lot of Napa Valley feels old and too fancy and too serious for something that should be really enjoyed, but they’re not like that.’

Smartest hotel you’ve ever stayed in?


‘I was 22, I had just finished Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, and people would send me to fashion shows. My first one was Mulberry. They put me up in Claridge’s, and I had never travelled fancy before. I was with my best friend and we got to our room, and there was a butler… we were so confused, we were like, is this a joke? What are we supposed to ask this man to do? He asked if we needed him to help unpack, and we were thinking, that’s weird, you don’t need to touch our underwear! A very strange introduction to how some people live. Instead I want to find small, small boutiques when I travel. I search for the fewest rooms and the kindest people.’

Sightseeing or sun lounger?


‘If I have time off at home, that’s when I lie down and read, so when I’m travelling I’m big on research. I arrange everything by neighbourhood, check local blogs to find the best restaurants and bars. Then the museums. It’s a whole document. It’s not that I want to feel scheduled but I want to know where to wander by, the shop that looks cute, or the restaurant you might need to queue for.’

Elizabeth Olsens favourite places in the world

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco

Describe your most memorable view


‘From the Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, looking over the pool and the lavender to the hillsides of Tuscany, which go on forever. Just thinking about it makes me feel calm. It’s also been an inspiration for renovating my place in LA, because I’m tucked up on a slope that nobody would know existed, and we’ve tried to build into it in a similar way.’

Who is the most interesting person you’ve encountered on your travels?


‘A man called Richard Lawson, who I came across in St Helena, California. He owned an antique shop full of the most beautiful finds. He was maybe in his early 90s, and we met him standing on a ladder, packing up boxes in the back of the store. It was one of those times where you start talking to a local who tells you the entire story of a place, and the journey of a life. I felt like I had met a living Buddha. He had travelled to so many places, and he said to us, ‘You just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other’. It was a reminder that your life can evolve. I don’t know if I want to be in this entertainment industry for the duration of my time on earth, so when I meet people like him, it makes my imagination kick into gear.’

Avengers spin-off ‘WandaVision’ is on Disney+ in December 2020

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