Bologna, Italy, the Basket City

Why is Bologna, Italy the Basket City? Love of basketball! One might think this strange in soccer-loving Europe, but Italy loves basketball.

Bolognese sauce, a meat based pasta sauce, was given its name from Bologna, Italy. Yes, even the original Bologna sausage was given its name by the city, and is among the local specialties.

Bologna, Italy is also one of the most developed cities in Italy, ranking, in terms of quality of life, as one of the top cities. In 2006 it was ranked 5th, and in 2007 it was ranked 12th, out of 103 Italian cities.

This might be a good time to take a trip to Bologna, Italy, too. Vacation company TourCrafters Inc. recently announced a package in Bologna, Italy. The six-day/five-night package includes round-trip air transportation on Alitalia from New York to Bologna, five nights’ accommodation in the Hotel Orologio, daily buffet breakfast, and a four-hour cooking course focused on pasta dishes, including lunch at the La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese restaurant. The offer is available for $1,279 from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 and $1,109 from Nov. 1 to 30.