Bird droppings are dripping down the forehead of the statue of former Health Minister Aneurin Bevan in central Cardiff.
The symbolism could not be clearer: for the first time in 100 years, Bevan's Labour is not the largest party in Wales. That position is instead held by Plaid Cymru - the Wales Party - after a resounding breakthrough in Thursday's election to the regional Senedd.
Party leader Rhun ap Iorwerth will now likely become the region's new head of government, the First Minister.
My faith in our nation drives me forward every day and Plaid Cymru is ready to serve, not just those who voted for us, but all citizens of Wales, who have a stake in the nation's future, says the 53-year-old ex-journalist from the island of Ynys Môn - Anglesey in English - in his victory speech.
Don't dare?
However, it is not dreams of breaking away that have primarily made the left-leaning, pro-EU Plaid the largest party. For many voters, it has instead been about disappointment with Labour and an attempt to counter the far-right Reform Party.
An independent Wales seems unlikely.
I highly doubt there is enough courage for that, says Cardiff native Collum.
The result in Wales means that all three smaller parts of the UK will soon be governed by parties that actually want to leave the union: Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, SNP in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales.
“Colonial power”
At the same time, the Reform Party is emerging as the second largest party in Wales - and even more so as the main favourite for many in local elections in England.
Reform, championed by Brexit veteran Nigel Farage, is clearly nationalist, both for Britain and for England. This sets the stage for a complicated situation if the party were to succeed in Farage's dream of governing after the next general election in 2029.
On the streets of Cardiff, there are doubts about whether England will ever let go of the other parts of the country, no matter how they vote.
Probably never. England is far too much of a colonial power, says US-born Ian.
Facts: Wales
Wales – Cymru in Welsh – is a country in the United Kingdom, bordering England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The country is slightly larger than Värmland and has a population of just over three million, of which around 400,000 live in the capital, Cardiff.
Wales was unified in the 1050s, but was attacked early on from the east and was in practice definitively taken over by England in 1283, after which the title "Prince of Wales" has been used for English and later British crown princes.
