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"World's biggest" amber nugget worth over $1 million used as doorstop for decades

An elderly woman in Romania has unknowingly used one of the largest known amber nuggets in the world - worth over €1 million ($1.6 million) - as her doorstop for decades. The woman found the stone in the bed of a stream in Colti, a village in the southeast Romania, and used it as her doorstop for years without realising its value. Members of her family also reported that thieves had once broken into her home, but only stole a few pieces of gold jewelry, missing the seemingly insignificant rock. “In their frantic search for valuables, they overlooked the real treasure that was there before their eyes,” they said. It wasn't until after the woman died in 1991 that a relative who inherited her home suspected the doorstop might be more than meets the eye - and he was right. When he sold the amber to the Romanian state, experts at the Museum of History in Krakow, Poland appraised the rock and found that the amber is likely between around 38 and 70 million years old. “Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau, told local news outlet El Pais. The expert also claimed that the amber is one of the largest pieces in the world and the largest of its kind weighing a hefty 3.5-kilograms. It has now been classified as a national treasure of Romania, and can be found in the Provincial Museum of Buzau, where it has been since 2022. Romania is one of the countries with significant deposits of amber, with Buzau County being one of the areas where you can find these beautiful stones in abundance. The protected area also contains the old Stramba amber mine, which was very productive during the first half of the 21st century, before it was shut down by the communist regime as it was considered unprofitable. Image: Buzău County Museum

Home & Garden

Country boycotts Paris Games after being stripped of medal

The prime minister of Romania has vowed to boycott the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics over what he described as “flagrant injustice” to two of the country’s gymnasts. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has called out the "scandalous situation" surrounding Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Voinea, who both missed out on medals after the women's floor routines. Barbosu was initially believed to have won bronze and was beginning to celebrate the win, when the judges then adjusted the difficulty of American gymnast Jordan Chiles' routine, bumping her up into third place and sending the Romanian gymnasts into fourth and fifth position. The president of the country’s gymnastics federation Carmencita Constantin told AFP she would file two complaints to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after both Romanian gymnasts left the competition in tears. Voinea, 17, who filed an unsuccessful appeal of her own, complained she had been unfairly penalised. Fellow Romanian gymnastics legend Nadia Comaneci chimed in on the controversy, urging a review of Voinea’s routine, after she claimed the athlete didn’t step outside the floor surface, an act she had been punished for. It comes as heartbreaking new footage of Barbosu’s medal being taken away emerged, after the final scores were updated and resulted in her coming in fourth place. As a result, the Romanian gymnastics team, who qualified for the first time in 12 years, left Paris without a medal after coming in seventh in the team competition. Prime Minister Ciolacu shared his upset over the loss, saying the athletes were treated "dishonourably" and would be boycotting the closing ceremony in protest. “I have decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics after the scandalous situation in gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonourable way,” he wrote on Facebook. Romania also sent a letter of protest to the International Gymnastics Federation, after it was revealed that Voinea has now quit gymnastics after the dramatic Olympics loss. Image credits: Daniela Porcelli/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial

Travel Trouble

Stay the night in King Charles’ most unusual home

Among the 450 people who live in the village of Viscri, Transylvania, one occasional resident is Prince Charles (now the newly crowned King Charles III). In this central Romanian region, you’ll find a cottage belonging to the future King of England, who has a property portfolio spanning London’s Clarence House and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire to a farmhouse in Wales and Dolphin House in the Isles of Sicily. Known as the Prince of Wales’ Guesthouse, the relatively humble abode can be booked by the public, except on the few days a year he stays there himself. Charles purchased the home in 2006, as an extension of his interest in supporting Romanian tourism and traditional practices. One room, dubbed Aunt Ida’s Room, includes a “traditional Transylvanian drawer bed” according to <a href="https://zalan.transylvaniancastle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the property’s website</a>, while another, called the Prince’s Room, comes with baroque furniture and textiles, along with a double bed and bathtub. The property includes an additional five bedrooms that vary in size, with all rooms equipped with wardrobes, toiletries, safes, books, umbrellas, and heating through central heating and/or wood-burning ceramic stoves. A night’s stay, including dinner and a drink on arrival, tours, transport, activities and breakfast on the day you depart, will set you back between €157 and €167 ($NZD 257-274), with all proceeds going to the Prince of Wales Foundation in Romania. “The Prince of Wales hopes that his guesthouse will encourage more people to visit Transylvania and in this way promote sustainable development,” the website reads. “We strive to offer affordable, yet financially sustainable holidays in this authentic Transylvanian environment.” The royal has been a frequent visitor to Romania for the past 20 years and set up his foundation in the country to support the preservation of traditional farming and highlight the importance of historic buildings. Images: Getty Images / The Prince of Wales’s Guesthouses in Transylvania (Facebook)

Real Estate

Six-week-old baby dies of heart attack following baptism

There are growing calls for Romania's Orthodox Church to overhaul its baptism ritual after a six-week-old baby tragically died. The baby went into cardio-respiratory arrest on Sunday, after was immersed three times during his baptism at a church in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. “The boy was crying, but the priest immersed him three times in water and he inhaled water,” the child’s distraught father told local media. Over 61,000 people have signed a petition demanding an overhaul of what they believe is an "absurd" tradition. “Given the tragic situations in which infants died after immersion in the water in the baptismal font, the CHURCH must urgently regulate this practice,” the petition reads. “We do NOT demand the cancellation of the practice of Baptism but its modification, so that these are prevented from unnecessary and even absurd risks! Vasile Bănescu, a spokesman for the Romanian Patriachate emphasised that priests are trained to use a specific technique during the baptism. “It is, without a doubt, a tragic case, a case that will have to be investigated. Let’s not imagine that a child can be put in water without covering his nose, mouth and ears,” told Antena 3 Monday. “There is a technique that an experienced priest always uses. This is how a baptism is celebrated with the utmost care “, Bănescu added. Vladimir Dumitru, who started the online petition, told CNN that he did not want to abolish the ritual of Orthodox baptism “but to change that sometimes brutal practice that involves the risk of drowning, especially in the case of children with health problems.” “The petition is not directed against the institution of the Church or against the priests but has a constructive intention,” he told CNN. “Through this petition we want the practice of baptism to be symbolic by sprinkling the baby on the top of the head and not its complete immersion three times, and this non-invasive practice to become mandatory in all Orthodox Churches in Romania and in the Diaspora,” he said in an email.

Caring

55-year age gap: Former priest moves to Romania with model husband

An 81-year-old former Anglican priest and his much younger husband have settled down in Romania to finally live in the same country together. Philip Clements and Florin Martin, 27, tied the knot three years ago after meeting online – with the majority of their married life spent long-distance. But last month, Philip moved to Bucharest to be with his husband and the pair are now looking forward to celebrating their third wedding anniversary with a home-cooked meal. Philip said he was gradually adjusting to the new city as his home, with the couple determined to make their marriage last despite Florin partying every weekend. “He understands me much better and I understand him much better,” Philip told The Sun. “I know when he’s busy not to disturb him and to give him space. “He goes to the gay club in Bucharest once a week and I’m fine with that. “He must have space to be with younger people, it’s very important when there’s this big age difference. “We’ve both learnt a lot.” Philip had previously sold his home in England to help fund his new life with Florin, as they spent thousands of pounds travelling the world together. But now, the couple are living off Philip’s teaching and church pension. Florin quit his job at a car rental company at the Ali Cante airport in Spain and is hoping to score a manager’s position in the future so the two can continue to travel together. “We do have to watch the money but Romania is cheaper than England so the money goes further,” said Philip. “We have enough to live on and enough to go to the cinema and out for a meal occasionally.” The pair have a 55-year age gap between them and met on Gaydar four years ago. They married in April 2017.

International Travel

Lonely Planet names best region to travel to in 2016

Transylvania has been named the best travel region for 2016 by Lonely Planet. The central Romanian region topped the Lonely Planet’s <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/regions" target="_blank">2016 Best in Travel rankings</a>, an list that considers aspects like sporting events, anniversaries, infrastructure updates and other “it” factors. <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/11407/romania-two_500x334.jpg" alt="Romania Two" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Transylvania is renowned for magnificent castles, cobblestone laneways, enchanting architecture and picturesque scenery so it’s easy to see how it ended up ranking so high in the list. And Lonely Planet notes that Transylvania is experiencing something of a renaissance, noting, “Horses and carts still rattle through the countryside, but they’ll soon share the roads with Uber cabs, as the app-based transport network sets up a new office in Bucharest. Meanwhile Transylvanian Airbnb listings are slowly amassing, excellent news for fans of social accommodation.” <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/11408/romania-three_500x334.jpg" alt="Romania Three" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> The region is also becoming one of Europe’s emerging art hubs and is drawing visitors with quirky museums and interesting nightlife which includes a number of trendy bars and restaurants. Lonely Planet’s Best Regions to visit in 2016: 10. St Helena, British Territories 9. Costa Verde, Brazil 8. Bavaria, Germany 7. Hawaii, USA 6. Auvergne Region, France 5. Waiheke Island, New Zealand 4. Friuli’s Wine Regions, Italy 3. Valle De Vinales, Cuba 2. West Iceland, Iceland 1. Transylvania, Romania <img width="497" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/11409/romania_497x330.jpg" alt="Romania" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> No matter where you’re travelling to, making sure you know how to access your cash while away – and in the most affordable way – is very important. Easy to use and with countless benefits, the Over60 Cash Passport allows you to securely access your cash in the same way you use an ATM or credit card.<a href="https://oversixty.cashpassport.com.au"> To find out how you can apply for a card today, click here.</a> Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=content&utm_content=link1&utm_campaign=travel-insurance">Click here</a> to read more about Over60 Travel Insurance. For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966. Hero image credit: Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com

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