Around the World with Elijah Wood

from, Conde Nast Traveller

Where in the world have you felt happiest?

It's a bit of a cliché, but I always feel happy in New Zealand where we filmed Lord of the Rings. There's something very calming about the way of life in Wellington. Barcelona is another of my favorites. I have a lot of friends in Spain; I have a feeling it's somewhere I will be connected to for the rest of my life. I'm also obsessed with Japan. Tokyo blows my mind.

What's the best thing about traveling?

Food, you'll see, is a theme with me. I spend a fair amount of time researching restaurants to go to; it's my favorite way of getting to know a place.

Name a place that most lived up to the hype.

I had built up high expectations about Paris, based on films and photography and pop culture. And the first time I went there, I still couldn't believe how beautiful it was, and how extraordinary the food was. There was nothing disappointing about it.

And a place that didn't.

Well, Venice is a wild city but I had three wasted meals there. I couldn't believe it. You think, 'I'm in Italy, every meal is going to be great!' But it's pretty tourist-driven, and a lot of the restaurants are sub-par. So, after three bad meals I asked a water-taxi driver to take me where he eats. And he took me to a tiny restaurant that served peasant-style Venetian food, and it was incredible.

What's your favorite city?

I love New York. Every neighborhood has a different feeling. It can morph and change while still being undeniably New York. I also have a deep, deep love for Austin, Texas, which has an almost small-town vibe but with the cultural impact of a big city. The tagline 'Keep Austin Weird' still rings true. It's got a great spirit.

Describe your favorite view.

The drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur and San Francisco is so visually stimulating and so beautiful. And the view changes constantly. Los Angeles is such a huge, urban sprawl, but when you get out of it you realize how absolutely extraordinary California is.

Describe a memory from a childhood holiday.

I was introduced to the American South when I was a kid and fell in love with it. It's almost like visiting a different country. It has its scars and unseemly elements, but Charleston is such a beautiful town, filled with magnolia trees and Spanish moss and pre-Victorian homes. Even back then, when my palate was relatively immature, I remember being blown away by the food. It's a pretty magical place.

Tell us about a great little place you know.

I always tell people to go to Henry Public in Brooklyn, a little tavern that makes probably the best burger I've ever had. There's also a no-frills sandwich place in Barcelona called La Champañería that's truly remarkable. It's tiny and always packed like a can of sardines. There are hams hanging from the ceilings, and they make their own Cava. It's an absolute dream, and it makes me want to weep every time I'm there.

What's the smartest hotel you've ever stayed in?

I don't love fancy places. I actually think projecting a sense of being fancy is kind of repulsive. As a result of working in film, I occasionally stay in ridiculous places that make me laugh; but if I were to choose, it wouldn't be an ostentatious hotel. My favorites tend to be a little bit smaller but beautifully designed for a really relaxed experience. Huka Lodge in New Zealand sits on a river, and you can fish right from your room. And there's a converted motel in Austin called the Hotel San José, which is really something. And I love The Bowery Hotel in New York.

What trip do you most want to take?

I've wanted to do the Great American Road Trip for a very long time. I even have the route planned; I just need a month or two to do it. I would start in LA and travel east through Texas and then down south. I wouldn't really touch Florida because I'm not that interested, but go north along the East Coast, through New York, Maine and New England, and then I would zig-zag through the Midwest - I've never been to Wyoming or Montana. Then up to Seattle and then the route all the way down from there to LA. Doesn't it sound magic?

Which foreign phrase do you use most often?

'We're not here to fuck spiders.' It's a Kiwi phrase. It's basically saying we're here to do work, take it seriously. I use it a lot when I'm working, actually, but it's completely ridiculous and makes no logical sense.

Do you have a guilty pleasure when traveling?

It's not really a guilty pleasure, more of a comfort thing, but if I'm getting room service from a hotel I will most likely choose a chicken club. It's a weird thing. I don't normally order club sandwiches in any other circumstances. And you know a club sandwich will vary wildly from country to country, from hotel to hotel.

Who is the most interesting person you've met on your travels?

I got to meet Sir Edmund Hillary before he passed away, which was an incredible honor. He came to visit the set when we were shooting Lord of the Rings, and even then, when he was in his eighties, he was a giant of a man.

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