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Slow travel in Sicily
i nostri traguardi e i futuri obiettivi
Pelin Bayer
Pelin's World
Ortigia - Siracusa
Phone + 39 392 2050978
VAT number IT02092210893
photo gallery
I’m Pelin Bayer, a world citizen born in Istanbul. I began traveling at the age of 16 and never stopped.
@ All Right Reserved 2022
When I was a child, my mother often told me that the year I was born, the famous Bosphorus Bridge—linking the two continents of Istanbul—was inaugurated. That bridge, a symbol of connection between the East and the West, has always felt like part of my story.
Perhaps that’s why cities with bridges have always stirred something deep in me—they speak of unity, of movement, of stories that pass from one side to the other.
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I first began traveling within my own city.
It was Istanbul that taught me how a city should be explored—not just through its museums or parks, but through its people. At a very young age, I realized that to truly know a place, you have to listen. Stories whispered in shop corners, shared over tea, or passed down in everyday conversations often reveal more than any guidebook ever could.
I went on to study English Language and Literature at university, while also immersing myself in the beauty of the Italian language.
The second bridge that shaped my life after Istanbul was the Ponte Vecchio, arching gracefully over the Arno in Florence. It was the early ’90s, and I felt as though I was quietly planting the seeds of the future I live today.
In 2002, life gifted me a second homeland: the Netherlands. I settled in Amsterdam—a city woven together by more than a thousand bridges. I fell in love with it, day after day. Each bridge led me into a new life, a new story. There was nothing more exhilarating than drifting between these worlds, gently connected by arches of stone and water.
Since 2017, I’ve been living in Siracusa. And perhaps, among all the bridges that have crossed my path, it is here—on the modest bridge linking the old and new parts of the city—that I finally felt a sense of belonging. A quiet homecoming after years of searching.
I realised that a city is not lived only by visiting its museums and walking around its parks at a very early age...
Siracusa is the smallest place I’ve ever lived, yet the most profound.
There’s a depth here—in the way people speak to one another, in the rhythm of daily life, in the way originality is quietly preserved—that drew me in from the very beginning. I felt connected to the locals almost instantly. There is something deeply moving about authenticity, and this place offers it in abundance.
I created this page to share the stories of the artists and artisans I’ve met—to connect their lives with the world. In a rapidly changing global landscape, I believe that discovering local artists, their crafts, and their stories helps foster a more meaningful relationship between travelers, communities, and the tourism industry itself.
So when you find yourself in Siracusa, you’ll find me just across the bridge.
And perhaps, through the stories I tell, you’ll find yourself on an unforgettable journey—guided by the hands and hearts of the people who make this place truly special.
When you come to Siracusa, you can find me on the other side of the bridge...
Every single one
I can't count
4
4
Languages I speak
Strangers that became my friends
Cities I fell in love
Artisans who inspire me