The Spicy Spatula

These feel a bit never ending, don’t they? I don’t know so you tell me, should I consolidate the last two days or are you here for my eating vegan all around Rome? Tell me in the comments below!

One of the things I love most about traveling is spending all day outside, or inside of a museum, sightseeing and just soaking up simply being in a new place, surrounded by new people. It’s strange because when I’m at home, wherever home is, I’m more of a homebody. I mean I’ll go out hiking or skiing or something, but more often than not I am at home, usually behind my laptop and listening to true crime.

Not in Italy though!

Day four started at Montemartini Museum, a really cool museum that’s housed inside a former power plant. You can see the juxtaposition of fine art, sculptures and sarcophagi with giant black metal fixtures behind it and somehow, it’s all the more beautiful. At least I think so.

This place was really cool because the first part of the museum was all about mosaics, some going back as early as the First Century BCE. Some exhibits were just bits and pieces while others were nearly fully complete floors or wall mosaics. You realize just how much of Rome’s history is buried beneath the modern city when walking through museums like this when you learn that this piece or that was uncovered while digging to put in a new train line or to build something.

In fact, one of train lines has been “in progress” for nearly 20 years because of all the artifacts uncovered during the excavation process. It is an ongoing project and who knows if it will ever see completion as more items are discovered.

After more than 2 hours learning about Roman history through art, it was time to fill our bellies. On the way to Musei Montemartini we passed a Ramen bar and I know what you’re thinking, “Seriously?” The easy answer is YES. I love Ramen and I honestly can’t get enough of it so we circled back to Bar Akira Ramen for lunch.

But, alas, while they did have vegan items on the menu I was devastated to learn that the ramen contained egg and therefore were not vegan. After throwing a mini-tantrum because I mean, since when do ramen noodles contain egg, I got over it and we enjoyed a few items.

The wakame salad was delicious because it usually is and I just can’t get enough of the stuff. It’s refreshing and light, perfect when the temperature gets above 30C. There was also an Agedashi Tofu which was fried silken tofu served with shredded scallion whites and served in a soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar dipping sauce. It was refreshing and delicious and I’m slowly changing my mind about silken tofu.

We ended the meal with mochi ice and I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of mochi balls but the vanilla and black sesame were delicious. The green tea? Let’s just say I feel about it the same way I feel about green tea…double yuck.

With a quick bite to eat, we were off once more this time to the Caracalla Baths, which was such an awesome place to visit. If you’re into history like me then you’re probably familiar with these public bath houses where the who’s who of Roman society gathered to plan world domination. But I had no idea just how large they really were. I’ve added some photos for scale so you can have an idea that these bad boys were 2 and 3 stories high, and it was just one big room. The rooms contained baths with water from hot to frigid and everywhere in between.

And there were some mosaic tiles still mostly intact from so long ago! It was hot and it took a bit of effort to get to the Caracalla Baths but it was totally worth it, and here’s a tip; the city bus will drop you off less than a kilometer from the entrance.

Then, dinner which of course meant MORE PIZZA!!

We went a little pizza crazy for dinner, getting a quatro formaggio (4 cheese) and vegan sausage (bresaola) pizza with a bottle of wine. Yep, a full bottle of certified vegan vino.
Oh and for starters? He ordered avocado and cherry tomato tartare and I ordered falafel balls because I’m addicted to finger foods.

And here are a few more shots from day four in Rome!