I take photos while riding - stopping to snap the little things that interest me (you can see a gallery of my travels here:
http://www.auslanderimages.com/Photo...45521679_qcaPs (shameless plug, I know, but if you're interested in Germany, and some East Europe, there a lot of pictures there which might float your boat)
I don't tour alone, so when off the bike, it's a meal and a bar and some gentle conversation. At night I keep a journal and then read. No gadgets for me, except an MP3 and a small wind up, solar radio, but to tell the truth, I tend not to use them. I guess they're just for back up.