Finish work. Nip over on the Saturday. Get out of town on Monday. Do it all over again next weekend. Miriam Lordin Bordeaux
In the European cradle of the budget airline, short-hopping has become a national hobby.
Apart from deciding whether to open a second bottle, Bordeaux presents no challenge to the Irish rugby fan.
Sure it's only a mouse click and a credit card away.
There's no real sense of soldiering any more in the Green Army. For most of the troops in France this year, the World Cup campaign promises a series of brief encounters, rather than one long, torrid affair.
This might explain why green shirts were in such short supply around the streets of the old city yesterday. Yesterday evening, in the most popular Irish pubs in Bordeaux, there was easily enough room to swing a Celtic tiger.
The bars had been cleared of most of their furniture in anticipation of traditionally thirsty crowds. Without the heaving throngs, they were sorry-looking empty spaces.
Business picked up at The Connemara and The Blarney Stone, The Wild Rover and Molly Malone's after nightfall, when the evening contingent arrived, in need of strong drink after witnessing Argentina's remarkable victory over France in the opening match of the tournament and Ireland's group.
It'll be mayhem come this evening. With any luck, the temporary Irish consulate set up in the city will be treated to a minor emergency, thus getting the chance to show off a little. Most of the embassy staff have decamped from Paris for the duration, ready and eager to assist fellow citizens in distress.
The Irish Times rang at teatime yesterday. "You're our first call today, and we've been open since half past nine this morning," said Disconsolate of the Consulate, otherwise known as a Department of Foreign Affairs official.
Given that the Irish abroad are getting very adept at looking after themselves, it is just as well that the officials are busy organising functions for visiting Irish business groups next week.
They are also putting the finishing touches to a big bash which will be held aboard the LE Eithne next Friday at the Quai des Quinçonces.
Meanwhile, rugby fans already in the city yesterday expressed surprise at the relative lack of Irish support on the ground.
David Green from Blarney in Co Cork was at the World Cup rugby village on the banks of the Gironne, waiting to watch the opening game on the big screen with his girlfriend, Elaine Murray from Co Kildare.
"There's a good buzz around, but where are all the fans?" he asked, as a brass band played in the background in an effort to get the French supporters warmed up.
"I think a lot of people have decided to wait for Paris, when we play France and Argentina. They're the important games. It's easy to get tickets for Bordeaux."
David and Elaine got the ferry from Rosslare and drove from Cherbourg. "I'm supposed to be a Leinster supporter, but I'm Munster in my heart," said Carlow IT student Elaine.
Fergus and Helena O'Connell from Castlebridge in Co Wexford got in yesterday afternoon and have tickets for all four matches in Bordeaux.
They travelled with Fergus's uncle Michael O'Connell from Blackrock in Dublin, "but originally from Cork". A veteran of many internationals, Michael was wearing the latest Irish team jersey.
"They were sold out of the lycra, the cotton was the only one I could get," he joked. "It's the first jersey I've ever bought."
While Fergus and Helena remain in Bordeaux, Michael is cutting his rugby trip short to go to Lisieux.
"I'll pray to St Therese for an Irish success. She was a very tough woman, you know. I know they'll have a big screen in the hotel - I'm going to combine my devotion to rugby with my devotion to St Therese."
Judging by the groups in town yesterday, rugby is very much a family affair, with lots of children among the supporters.
Perhaps the youngest is James Dunne from Dundalk, who had quite a big day yesterday - with a month to go to his second birthday, he wore his first Irish jersey for his first flight in a plane to his first world cup.
Mum Lorraine and Dad Kevin are staying in Bordeaux for 10 days. Already, James flings his arms in the air when you say "Up Ireland".
Meanwhile, keeping the old tradition of camping alive were Rory Scanlon and Mark Talbot from Ashbourne, Co Meath.
They drove from Cherbourg and pitched their tent in a campsite on the outskirts of Bordeaux. They hope to buy their tickets on match day.
"We expected to see a lot more Irish here. We met 10 or 12 since we arrived," said Mark. "There are fewer than a dozen Irish people staying at the campsite.
"We heard that around 6,000 fans arrived on Thursday," said Rory.
God knows where they were.
For those flying in, the luggage tag for Bordeaux was seen as a good portent of things to come. It says "BOD". Which, as everyone knows, means Brian O'Driscoll.
After a rather baffling opening ceremony, a mouthwatering weekend of sport began. But not before French president Nicolas Sarkozy, nonchalantly juggling an oval ball as he spoke, was interviewed in the stadium studio by France's equivalent of George Hook and Tom McGurk.
Politicians are the same everywhere.