...of churches

As was to be expected, the whaling museum in Lages was firmly closed. What wasn't closed in Pico? In Lages only the monumental church was open and a small bar modelled on an Irish pub. While the taxi-driver stayed in his car waiting for us to have a look at the two places that were open, we entered the church where there was absolutely nobody and what was on view can be seen at so many of the world's churches. We continued to look at it for some time, we didn't have much else to do; carpets, chalices, pews, missals, candles, hassocks, dried flowers, an unobtrusive organ: rancid silence.

[Montano, Vila-Matas, E.]