A magical night in the village square

As the band struck up the theme music to Harry Potter, xylophones gently tinkling, I got up from my seat to find the best spot to take a photo.

The plateia was atmospheric. It was a magical night, with a throng of people gathered under the trees to listen to the music.

A sky of black ink, a bell tower picked out by spotlight and two lamps illuminating the church door.

I half-expected the Knight Bus to come roaring through the village, slowing down to inch past the busy tavernas and forcing oncoming traffic to step aside, as coaches do around these parts. Or maybe Hagrid on a motorbike and sidecar.

I clicked off the camera to stop filming and noticed a fluttering beside me. A small bat flapped by. Its wings almost touched the ground.

I followed its progress as the bat wove in and out of the percussion section, swooping low over the timpani and bass drum and then up, higher and higher, to swirl around the bell tower.

And then the band played the theme music to Lord of the Rings and Gangnam Style before calling it an evening and heading off for a souvlaki.

But you should never leave kettle drums unattended. With the band members safely out of the way, three children seized the drumsticks and had a bit of a bash, an indulgent father smiling and taking photos.

Two other children, one each side of the square, pulled out toy whistles from their lucky bags and called to each other like Scops owls.

But the drum roll was enough to disturb two band members during their meal. The teenage boys strode out across the square, young men with stern faces, on a mission to protect their instruments

They snatched back their sticks, had words with the miscreants and then put a cover over the drums before going back to finish their souvlakia.

It's a busy time in Greece over the next week or so, with festivals, parties and events leading up to August 15th, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.

I'll be back in the plateia on Friday for some traditional Greek folk music. Although maybe someone will knock on my front door first and tell me I'm a wizard.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x