All That You Can't Leave Behind
I don't know what U2 were talking about with this as the name of their last album; probably something deeply spiritual or whatnot. For me, though, there are a few material things that I literally haven't been able to leave behind, despite my best efforts. These nine little buggers have followed me around from Florence to Dubrovnik, and everywhere in between. Not even in the smallest towns have I been able to lose them. In no particular order:

1. Crap western pop songs played too loud in every public space -- Including Eminem in a Zagreb restaurant (they actually turned the radio up when it came on), Kylie Mingoue everywhere, at all times (and not just her latest song, either. I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Especially for you, her apparently timeless duet with Jason Donovan, in the international ferry terminal in Bratislava).
2. Pepsi or Coca-Cola -- you can lose one but not both.
3. the Magnum ice-cream -- Different company names, sure, but the same logo and same packet. And different models in the posters, but they were all apparently caught practicing fellatio on the ice-cream.
4. Pizza -- but considering some of the food in Eastern Europe, having pizzerias is definitely a good thing. And just a note for future travellers: when they list 'olive' as an ingredient, that's what you get. An olive.
5. German tourists -- So long as they keep their clothes on, they're fine by me.
6. Museums of torture -- Saw my sixth one today.
7. Carbonated water -- But I'm getting used to it. Well, you would too if you ended up with it about half the time you bought water. Why is it, please tell me, that all these Eastern European countries have basically one way of saying 'Hello', but about a million different ways of saying 'No Gas'? Hmm?
8. Little sausage dogs -- Like the water, I'm beginning to appreciate the cute, worried little way they waddle around every public square. I still get the urge to run past, pick it up and hand-ball it back to its owner, though.
9. Young, beautiful people doing crazy things in mobile phone ads -- Three of them, jumping in the air while holding balloons. Diving out of planes while having a chat to his girlfriend on the mobes. In the first ad, leaning forward to blow out the candles on a cake, but then ... wait for it... in the next ad someone has pushed his face into the cake, and now it's all over him!! Oh, these crazy European kids sure know how to have a good time.