We took Ethel the campervan on her first overseas trip with us to France (she went surfing to Spain before we knew her!). We wanted to start off gently, so took her on the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe, then a short 90 minute drive to a Camping site in Normandy* between Rouen and Paris.
I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted a Lizard Orchid Himantoglossom hircinum in a hedgerow near Chateau Gaillard in Les Andelys.
But then when we returned to our camping spot, there was one growing just a few centimetres from our van awning – see pic below! So I got out my smartphone camera lens for some close up pics – see main image.
The following day on the way to Giverny, we spotted hundreds of them along the sloping grassy banks by the side of the road. Unfortunately we were keeping up with traffic and so unable to get a pic and it didn’t occur to me to take a grid ref. But I’m guessing the locals don’t consider Lizard orchids unusual!
A large proportion of the grassland surrounding the chateau (a big old ruined castle built by Richard the Lionheart) was roped off, with a sign saying it was to protect nature. Being beautiful chalk grassland similar to what we have here in Sussex, I’m not surprised! There were some Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis visible in the distance, but to my luck a Greater Butterfly Orchid Platanthera chlorantha was right on the edge of the path. I’ve never seen one before but I looked it up using Google Lens then checked it with my Wild Flower Key book by F. Rose. Read more about wildflowers around the chateauAMP
When I’ve got a minute I’ll add more info and pics about this species to my Orchids pages.
Read more about Orchids and identifying them
*If you’d like to know more about the campsite – we really liked it. It was an international mix including UK, Dutch and German tourists, very clean with a swimming pool and restaurant-bar too. It was easy walking distance from Le Petit Andely, and fun to watch the container barges and river cruisers on the water. The site had all types of pitches – camping, vans, teepees and statics, but it didn’t seem overcrowded (out of the school holidays over a long weekend). The camping chain is called Flower which seems appropriate!