The Town Hall was warmly lit, and we were drawn first to the Misericórdia church, where a huge swarm of people were entering and leaving the main door at the same time. There was no queue as such, and bodies moved this way and that, like molasses. We surged our way ahead, and entered this 16th century church. It was beautiful! Brightly lit, with some of the best friezes of azulejos tiles I'd seen, its gilded altar was mesmerizing
 We were to learn later, that what the crowd was doing was simply visiting 7 churches that night. Apparently it is good luck to visit 7 churches on the eve of Good Friday, so this is exactly what they were doing. At the same time, it was also a gathering of friends and family, a chance to enjoy some great pastries and ice-cream at the little pastelarias, and for young people to socialize.