Happy Heart Ruby Squarky go to Moscow & Ruby goes Shopping

Hooray today is the day to go to the Big Red Square said Happy Heart. Its the day he had been waiting  so long for!
This looks like the right place said Squarky.

Yes that's right said Happy Heart. I remember that is one of the Russian words that we learned. That means Red Square. Hooray we are here !

Yes said Squarky I remember too. Its  good that we have been studying hard! Now we can read the signs.

Quick lets hide they all said at once.....there are lots of soldiers here. Don't be silly said Squarky we don't need to be scared. Lets have a good look around now that we are here.

 I"ll sit here on the fence because I can be closest to Red Square. Just over there behind me is where Lenin is. I have heard about him. It's such a big square isn't it.

 That's a beautiful building over there said Squarky as he hid behind the big black bag.I think it's a church.

I've found it, said Happy Heart as he threw his hands in the air. Its the very famous Church called Saint Basil's! It has so many beautiful domes and is so colourful. I'am glad we found this place.

Take a picture of me here said Ruby as she sat happily in the warm sunshine. I want my picture in front of Saint Basil's too.
They saw many more beautiful buildings and fountains that day. Would you like to see some more of them too?

They also saw a very large Fort wall that was built hundreds of years ago and after they walked all the way around the big Fort wall they were very tired as it was 2.5 kilometers long.

After that big day in the city they were all very tired but would love to go back another day as they have heard that there are some beautiful precious jewels and many other treasures to see behind the Fort Wall!

 When they got home, they climbed into bed exhausted after such a big day out.

Squarky couldn't get to sleep. He was too busy thinking of all that he had seen and dreaming about his next adventure.
                  
Ruby Rabbit goes Shopping

"Maybe it's a good day to go to the shops; we need to buy some groceries", thought Ruby. "It looks like it could be warmer today, but it might rain so I had better take an umbrella too."
"Mmm....let's see...a bag, an umbrella, a shopping list, keys.....now I think that's all I'll need". "Ooops...I almost forgot....lots of Rubles!" "Bye Happy Heart. Bye Squarky. See you in a couple of hours. This shopping business takes a long time!"
"Now I'll put on my coat, scarf, boots and hat to keep my ears warm. Soon I will need gloves to keep my paws warm too." "I open the first door and turn on the light so I can see to open the second door," said Ruby.
"Then I lock the first door and turn out the light and lock the second door."
Then Ruby got the rickety old lift down to the first floor. Rattle, rattle, thump! Then Ruby goes down the steps to the very front door and presses the button to open this door. Beep beep and the big old metal door can be pushed open. Ruby gave a shudder as the cold wind hit her face. "Its colder that I thought out here."
She hurried down the wet path towards the road. It was a cold breeze today but at least it wasn't raining.

The dirt path was rather muddy so she walked on the edge near the weeds. At last she got to the road.

"It's a bit hazy today but I think that that sign up there means that our town is having a birthday." said Ruby.
The sign behind the cars says, "Podolsk 229 years".

Ruby saw the big supermarket just across the road.

 "That's where I need to go today," she said.
Carefully she crossed the busy road and tried to hop around the puddles and the mud. Then up the big steps and inside past the big double doors she went. "Oh that's much warmer," she said. "Let's go past the guards at the door and get the things that we need." The guards always look very serious because they are there to make sure there are no robbers around. There are many guards at this shop.

Ruby saw some tiny little pineapples in the fruit and vegetable section. She did get some mushrooms but the pineapples didn't look very tasty. "I wonder how many food miles they have traveled to get here," she thought. "Wow! fresh coriander....I must have some of that," she said "and some of that delicious purple garlic too." It was difficult to find her favourite cheese so she chose a couple of different ones to try.

 "Don't think I fancy chicken livers today. Yuck.....what's that? Oh no it's chicken heads and chicken feet!"

 "Not today thanks!" said Ruby as she hopped past the meat counter. 
The guards were hanging around so she  hopped along and finished her shopping. "This is going to be heavy to carry home" she thought, "but first I have to pay for these things."
The fat lady at the checkout counter wasn't friendly at all. She hates giving change and gets very cranky and rude when you give her a large Ruble note. Today was no different. She glared at the note and yelled and waited. Finally she had to give Ruby the change. "Now all I have to do is pack the groceries and I'm ready to walk home", she said. 
Home she hopped down the muddy path, over the busy road, down another muddy path, and past the rubbish bins and the old apartment blocks. 'Beep beep', through the big metal door and  up the stairs to the lift. "Puff puff." Rattle! rattle! clang! thump! went the lift. Clunk! clunk! went the big key in the lock. Click! went the light switch. Clunk! clunk! went the big key in the second lock. Clunk! clunk! went the first door lock...Click went the light switch!!! "I'm home!" shouted Ruby to her friends.
"That was hard work." she said. "You'll never guess what I saw today!" she said. Then she told them about the chicken heads and chicken feet. They all laughed. "You are safe Ruby," Happy Heart said. "I don't think they sell rabbit heads or feet!"

Here are some of the thing that Ruby bought. Honey, cheese, olives, bread, chocolate, tuna, nuts, Vareneke, Nordic porridge, coriander and giant red garlic. Ruby can't believe how big the garlic is that she is pointing to.


Today has been quite a day for Ruby. She will sleep well tonight!
                    Now with the shopping done, the Adventurers looked for some tasty recipes. "Here's a good site" she said. "There's some great recipes there!" Squarky agreed.

"This looks delicious," said Ruby. "There are many raspberries around here, maybe we could try this recipe."

                                                The Adventurers check the mail.

                                       "Look!" said Squarky. "There they are. I wonder if they miss us."
"Wow! Hasn't that little fellow in the middle grown," said Ruby. "You would think we have been away for a long time." 
"Can't wait to see them again! We have so many stories to tell them," said Squarky.

"Its hard to see who's who in this picture," said Happy Heart, "But I think I remember who belongs to those legs!"

Pumpkins are orange.

"Some of the Autumn leaves are orange,"said Happy Heart.

Happy Heart, Ruby and Squarky love the colours of Autumn. 
" Orange is my favourite colour!" said Ruby. "That's the colour of pumpkins, carrots and persimmons." There are many orange things around in Autumn so Ruby is very happy.

"I think they are yellow," said Ruby."But they are very pretty too. Maybe I have two favourite colours, red and yellow," she said.

Happy Heart and Squarky looked at the fruit again and agreed that their favourite colour was red. "Mmm..."said Happy Heart. "Red pomegranates. I love that colour and they taste delicious too!"

"There are many red berries on trees in the park,"said Squarky. " I saw them when I was flying around the other day."

"I know that after Autumn comes Winter and I think that it will be very cold here in Russia,"said Squarky. "It's too late to fly south where it's warmer, so I think that I have found the perfect place to keep warm and cosy. It's here on this heating pipe next to the hot water radiator." 
" I like it here too."said Ruby, as she moved closer to the warm heater.They all agreed that was the perfect place  to sit on a cold winter day. Soon I think they will be there often as the days are getting colder.