Famille Conte de Cousein

I found this marble sign in the loft of the first cottage. It's surprisingly heavy. Why was it made? Was it a plaque on a front gate, or was it from a family tomb? There doesn't appear to be a Cousein any more, but Cousein Bas and Cousein Haute. On all the maps I have looked at, it is spelt Cousin, but the actual signs marking the two hamlets are spelt with the e. There are four separate dwellings at Cousein Bas: our farm, two cottages along the lane, and a walled complex that contains a large house, barns, stables and a chapel.Cousein Haute appears to consist of a selection of farm buildings, but they may be separate dwellings... 

Conte means 'story' in French. This has prompted new thoughts about the name of our property. Our address at the moment is just Cousein Bas, but we need to distinguish our place from the other dwellings. There's a lot of sky, and a lot of hill, and a lot of larks. I've mulled over names that include les collines or le ciel, and it turns out that larks are les alouettes, the plucked bird of the famous French song. Wood lark is l'alouette lulu. Say it. It uses a lot of tongue. It's a joy to say! 

I'm still working on the name, but maybe Conte could play a part. Antonio Conte is the manager of the Italian football team and he's been in the news recently. He looks like one of the undead. My childish mind has toyed with a fairytale theme, with cottages based on tales such as Les Trois Petits Couchons (we do have a piggery after all!) and Little Red Riding Hood... Goldilocks and the Three Bears... Hansel and Gretel... Too exciting! But sometimes 'themes' can go too far and become nauseating. We shall see.