Skiing Gone to the Dogs?

A few years ago a Northern Italian ski resort invited Donhead school of which I was then a governor, to a long week-end of free skiing. The then Donhead headmaster invited mrs maytrees and I to join the school parents and staff, who were to travel there and ski. 

As I recall the local mayor and some of his staff invited the Donhead party to a lunch at a beautiful restaurant about half way up the ski slope to which we all travelled by ski lifts. The lunch, the company and of course the views were of course delightful.

Not having skied before Breda and I were slightly fearful. However what amazed me then and still does, was what would have been the expense of it all  had we not been guests of the village, which of course  hoped that the School would then take regular skiing holidays there at the normal prices.

One had to have proper ski boots and of course skis, and travel up the slopes by ski lifts not to mention apres ski. The cost to us seemed astronomic and I wondered too about pollution; not only  from the the airplane fuel but also at the mountainside with ski lifts etc.

Covid-19 has caused many ski resorts in Europe to become quiet and sadly I consider this to be no bad thing. There is at home tragically, an increase in people sleeping rough and being low on or without food and decent meals, so presumably those not spending vast sums on skiing might be able to assist  local poor people more? 

On the topic of assisting the poor and reducing unnecessary expense, I often wonder about the cost of dogs as pets particularly in cities and towns. The pollution in the form of pet faeces is really a side issue but the costs of buying and maintaining such creatures seems enormous, particularly if the fees of veterinary surgeons are taken into account as well as of course food  with which some supermarket shelves  are packed. 

Again  I wondered this morning after seeing a beggar in an empty shop doorway, whether it is right for so much to be spent on pets when so many  human beings are apparently in need of food and sustenance. Of course farm dogs dogs of the lonely, guide dogs and the like are different.

Of course my own luxury items I will not dwell on here.