Looking for two special places to stay within a few hours by train from Paris

Jean,
I understand how this should be a special place for you. Jave you considered Amiens? I understabnd the cathedral is spectacular, and the city has canals and floating market gardens. Best of luck in your search.

LIlle and Nantes are possibles but you are on your own for finding your cheerful hotel yada yada -- good luck with that. I add Versailles only because of the lumieres thing. If you choose Nantes check for the timing of the elephant walk and the Marine Carousel and choose dates that they are running and book the elephant ahead. We also liked St. Malo although you are not talking museums and such but it is a stunning place and Annecy which is really beautiful for a couple of nights.

We have done all these place without a car. We love the Dordogne but you really need a car there and we no longer drive.

Have you considered Beaune? It is a very compact, walkable city. The main attraction is the Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The audio guide is from his perspective and it was so touching to see his heart for providing care for the poor. For someone who loves mustard almost as much as wine, I really enjoyed the Moutarderie Fallot mustard factory and shop. They are the only mustard using 100% mustard seeds grown in France. Who knew? Beaune has streets to wander galore with cute shops, fabulous cafes and restaurants - make a reservation for dinner! And finally, we stayed at Les Remparts Hotel. The rooms are bright, large with exposed stone walls and beams. The included breakfast was an extensive buffet and also to order al a carte, served either on the terrace in the courtyard or the breakfast room. We enjoyed our 2 nights here. They do have a light show, but I’m not sure when it starts. I don’t think you would be disappointed with staying in Beaune.

Hi Jean -- this is a very good question and I will try to think if I have any suggestions. It's of course so important to be able to find what you would find suitable as you are there on the anniversary of your husband's passing. But you have been to more cities that fit the criteria than I have !!! I will put on my thinking cap and see if I come up with any ideas that fit your parameters.

Jean,
My "location vote" for you is Reims. It meets some of your criteria:
*Easily reached by train. About an hour from Paris.
*Very walkable to museums. Yes, it does have a museum connected to WWII, but you'd never know it since it is away from the
"tourist area."
*Lumière shows: not sure if it means light shows on facade of buildings. Reims has two: the Cathedral and Basilica
*It's not very crowded with tourists, but locals. Many of the outdoor cafes at night are filled with college-age young people
*You could easily fill your time with a two-night stay.
*Can't guarantee perfect weather; perhaps add another night to ensure good weather.
The only drawback is I don't know if it has a B & B like your "wish list."
We were in Reims for the start of our RS' Eastern France tour. We were there 4 nights; two pre-tour and two with the tour. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Reims.
The pedestrianized area is quite long and has many restaurants with outdoor seating. Some of these eating places served food all day ( My husband and I prefer to eat our evening meal before 7:00 p.m). Great for people-watching.
We were there the end of August. I was pleasantly surprised to see families (looked like locals) in the area, buying granita, children riding the merry-go-round, etc.
We stayed at the Hotel Continental; very close to the train station, but not at all like your ideal B & B. Our room faced the green space rather than the pedestrianized area, and we saw school-age kids walking to school, and joggers, and people just sitting and relaxing on benches.
Can you tell I really liked Reims?
And...we went to Vieuv Cliquet for lunch and had my new favorite champagne (Never liked champagne before). It was called "Rich Rose" and was served with ice cubes. Delish! A bottle or two of it is on my Christmas wish list.
Looking at the places where you've already been, I've only been to Lyon, Annecy, and Colmar. I liked Reims more than Lyon. I loved Annecy, but it was for reasons not mentioned on your criteria. And I wanted to like Colmar, but there were too many tourists during the day. And it was difficult to be spontaneous for meals. One day we tried to eat at 3 different places for lunch. "Sorry, no room."

Thank you, everyone, who has responded either here or through a private message! You have each given me cities and info that I have been looking at in detail on-line over the weekend. The idea of Lille has even expanded my scope to maybe include a small city in Belgium and just fly from Athens into Brussels and out of Paris to fly home afterwards. I haven’t been in Belgium since 1975, although the old centers look the same! ; )

”And I wanted to like Colmar, but there were too many tourists during the day.”

Carol, that’s how we felt about Colmar, too! We had just spent some wonderful days in Nancy, so it was quite a difference to suddenly have Colmar’s touristy shops & crowds.

Bordeaux is two hours from Paris via TGV. I strongly recommend considering Bordeaux, as you don't list it in your past visits. It's my favorite place in France. We also loved Orléans, a very underrated city that gets very little tourist visitation. The Loire is lovely and crystal clear in Orléans, and the city's residents flock to its banks in summer to eat, drink and play. Wonderful place.

Jean - read Michelle Damiani's recent post on Ghent if you haven't already. It made me want to to there!

Janet, ever since I read Michelle’s book of their family’s year in Spello, I have enjoyed her perspective on places. My experience in Alberobello last May was so aligned with what I read from her thoughts, too. I hadn’t read her blog on Ghent, so thank you! I just looked through it, and yes, it seems just what I would be wanting, also - less busy, more “unpolished” tourist experience. Either way, I will at least take a daytrip over to Bruges.

Well, my plans have changed for next May….in a good way. I will leave this post active for possibly helping other readers. Thanks again for your excellent ideas!