“A Face in the Crowd” is this week’s WordPress photo challenge — I knew right away where to take this one. 

It was the most beautiful of days in one of the most beautiful of places on earth.   Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the coast of Northern Ireland.  Even here, big buses disgorge crowds of tourists who either walk the half mile or queue up to board shuttle buses to a prime viewing area. The order of the day is to hop from one to another of the 40,000 or so hexagonal basalt rocks protruding up along the coast. 

The approach to Giant’s Causeway is one of achingly green pastures, flocks of sheep and tidy houses, farms and churches.  The trails overlook some wonderful scenery and at least on this day, the skies were beautiful.

Despite all these superlatives,  one anonymous person colors our remembrance of the place.  In the photo below, I captured a solitary lady who seemed to be oblivious to the beauty around her. Maybe I am being unfair, but I remember watching her for a few minutes and wondering why she was so intent on her smartphone with just a short time to enjoy the beauty around her.   Maybe she was sending a shot to the folks back home to enjoy.