What standard has Olwen lived in wealth all her life?

When Jonas makes his way up the steep stone "staircase" of the mesa, he expects Olwen's home to be a rustic cave. What he sees, however, is unexpected, as her home is opulent and beautiful.... similar to "an incredibly expensive hotel on the French Riviera which he had once visited, when he was younger and more reckless, and a new captain's pay had seemed like a fortune."