I needed new glasses as part of my total life makeover… Lucky for me, Bernay has five optical shops on rue Thiers (the main drag).

Maybe there’s a reason for the optical thing… Gaston Folloppe, an optician turned French Resistance leader in WWII, is a local and national hero. He was captured in 1943 and died by firing squad in 1944. One of the liveliest and most charming streets in town is named after him. And, for some reason, there’s a statue here of Jacques Daviel who, as far as I can tell, never lived in Bernay, though he was born about 15 km from here. He was a pioneer of cataract surgery in the 18th century and “oculist” to Louis XV. There could be others… I’ll let you know.

The first few optical shops I went to elicited a Goldilocks response. What got me excited about Lempereur was the shop’s windows, which prominently displayed some striking local – as in designed and manufactured in Normandy – eyewear brands, Plein les Mirettes and Struktur, as well as some other 100% French brands like Naoned (a Breton brand that makes its frames from wood or cotton cellulose) and In’Bô (in les Vosges which, in addition to wooden glasses, makes bamboo bikes and wooden skateboards).

I love the caractère of French designer frames! So fun and funky. And I always do what I can to support French savoirs-faire artisanaux.

The Lempereur shop (4-6 Rue Thiers) was just the right size (thought Goldilocks). It’s part of a small, family-owned chain, created in 1957. It has nine shops, all in Normandy, so it still has that small-business vibe.

Séverine, who runs it, has been with the company since 2003, and an optician since 1998. She is friendly, knowledgeable, passionate about her work, and was more than happy to spend a LOT of time with me, even though I popped in without an appointment. Séverine and her associate, Tristan, are native bernayens, and they both have Master’s degrees in optometry.

The pics: Tristan doing some high tech adjustments; Me as The Terminator; Séverine and Tristan; Renaissance carving on the building; My new glasses by Plein les Mirettes and Naoned; The Lempereur shop.

Interesting France fact: People have been able to get Master’s degrees in optometry here for about 20 years, but they can’t actually do the things optometrists do in other countries (like measure your vision for a prescription). You still have to go to an ophthalmologist (MD) for that.

After my first visit to Lempereur, I went to the Plein les Mirettes site and fell in love with several styles and colors that weren’t in the shop. I emailed Séverine a list, and she actually gathered them from the other Lempereur shops and the manufacturer so I could try them on.

The building the shop is in is also a certified historical monument built in the 16th century. Les Amis de Bernay don’t have any info on who built it, or who lived in it before the 18th century. (I’ll check out the archives and let you know what I find.)

The plaque displayed to the left of the shop says:

Sur cette façade, les décors « Renaissance » comportent des rageurs.

English translation on the plaque: “On this house front, the ‘Renaissance’ decoration includes furious grimacing faces.”

(Rageurs is my new favorite word.)

The other optical shops on rue Thiers:

Alain Afflelou – 12 Rue Thiers. Has 1,445 stores in 19 countries. Big ol’ chain, which you already know if you live here.

Écouter Voir Optique Mutualiste – 22 Rue Thiers. This small French chain is unique in that they invest all profits into the social economy. Some of their frames (the Juste line) have OFG (Origine France Garantie) certification. (If only it were Origine Made in France Garantie…)

Krys Bernay – 49 Rue Thiers. Part of a very big group of three eyewear chains.

Astrid Optique – 60-62 Rue Thiers. Cute, independent, woman-owned optical shop. The eponymous Astrid comes from a family of opticians.